So Much For Peace
by elenamindollin
Summary: Saw a lot of Sarah and Jake fics out there, so I went with an older set of siblings. Lake Winnetka, CBTD2. The Bakers' wonderful, relaxing family vacation is about to get a little crazy...
1. ONE: A Baker's Dozen

_**Just a quick note: **Liz Baker is Charlie's twin sister. I've thrown in another family from Long Island, New York (The Zimmerman family) for some more fun. Liz is not a Sue, I promise. Enjoy. And for those of you who have read my story before, I got rid of the prologue because it annoyed me. I might put the ages back in later, toward the end. _

_Have fun!_

**Elena

* * *

**

Chapter One: A Baker's Dozen

Thirteen donuts at Krispy Kreme. Thirteen rolls in a basket. Thirteen eggs. Thirteen. A baker's dozen. Thirteen kids in one house. Sound crazy? What if they were all in the same family? Same parents, same last names? Call it crazy. For Nora, Charlie, Liz, Lorraine, Henry, Sarah, Jake, Mark, Kim, Jessica, Mike, Nigel and Kyle Baker, it was a way of life.

* * *

Nora Baker-McNulty staggered out of the car, the roundness of her stomach making it annoyingly difficult. Her father Tom quickly caught her arm and supported her as her husband Bud came around to lead her up the front steps of Lakeside High School. All around her, nine of her younger siblings dashed madly out of the van and up the stairs. She groaned inwardly. One downside to having such a large family was that they were rarely on time for anything. Hopefully Lorraine hadn't been presented with her diploma yet. And where _were_ the twins, Charlie and Liz? Charlie had left an hour ago to pick Liz up from the Chicago airport – she'd flown back from Harvard for Lorraine's graduation. _Though,_ Nora thought grumpily, _it would have been more convenient if she'd decided to come a day earlier._ But workaholic Liz wouldn't dream of it. Honestly, that girl made it into Harvard out of sheer willpower and determination to prove that the Bakers could become something other than coaches and housewives after high school. It wasn't that she disliked her family. Nora knew that Liz wouldn't trade her life for any other, but her younger sister absolutely hated the snide remarks made from the city kids about the Bakers from "Cowpie" Illinois.

Movement at the corner of her field of vision caught Nora's eye as Charlie and Liz sprinted down the center aisle to the row the Bakers had claimed. From her place in line, Lorraine waved discreetly, tapping her watch in mild annoyance. Both Charlie and Liz gave her sheepish smiles and shrugged their shoulders helplessly before Lorraine's name was called.

* * *

Later, at Lorraine's graduation party, Liz leaned over to her twin as Bud and Nora stood up slightly anxiously to announce their toast. "They look nervous," she whispered, "Ten bucks says they're gonna drop a bombshell."

"I'll take you up on that," Charlie whispered back.

Liz was not disappointed. Bud announced that he'd been offered a managing position of an advertising firm in Houston, Texas, concluding hastily with, "We're moving in September. Thank you!"

Backhanding Charlie lightly on the chest, Liz murmured, "That's ten bucks you owe me, twin brother."

"Consider it your ride back to the airport, Lizzie," he grinned playfully.

She made a face at him. "Thanks, Charles Baker."

Their parents came up, talking to Bud and Nora, who were obviously on their way out. "Hey!" Tom turned to the twins. "You two staying for some touch football?"

Liz kissed his cheek briefly. "Sorry Pops, I have to catch my flight. I have a term paper due the day after tomorrow. I'll see you guys soon, okay?"

"I have to work, Dad," Charlie added. "I'm dropping Liz off and heading straight over there."

"Great," Tom Baker muttered as his three oldest children took off in their separate directions. "Did everyone forget that touch football is a time-honored tradition at Baker family events?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Hey guys! First chapter is up! Sorry about the wait, my computer wouldn't let me upload any documents, but it's fixed now, so the next two are going up pretty fast. The chapters are a little short and I'm sorry if that bothers anyone. They'll get longer (hopefully). Anyway, please don't be shy about reviewing!_


	2. TWO: A Surprise Vacation

**Chapter Two: A Surprise Vacation**

Liz's phone buzzed insistently in her purse as she sat on a shaded bench on campus, watching a pretty, long-haired blonde sketching a tree a few benches away. She pulled it out. Her dad. Flipping it open and pressing the button to accept the call, she brought it to her ear. "Yeah?"

"Liz?" her mother's voice came through. "You're on speaker phone, conferencing with all of us and Charlie and Lorraine."

"Hey guys," she said at large as she was greeted by a chorus of hellos from her siblings.

"Okay!" her dad's voice rose above the others, "Now that we're all here, your mother and I wanted to announce that we've rented the big house at Lake Winnetka for one more family vacation! We're going over Labor Day!"

Stunned silence greeted this until Jake's voice muttered, "Dude, I was gonna hang with my friends this summer."

"Dad, I'm going to be very, _very_ pregnant then," Nora added.

"And I'll be apartment hunting in New York in August," Lorraine's unmistakable voice objected.

"Yeah, well, I love the lake," Charlie interjected, "I'm in."

Liz smiled into her phone. She wasn't surprised that Charlie was the first to agree. He'd always loved the time they spent at Lake Winnetka. Some of their favorite memories were from those lazy summers at the lake. "I'm with Charlie," she put in, loud enough to be heard over the commotion. "I love the lake."

"Bingo!" her dad cried, "There's two!"

One by one the others agreed that it wouldn't be so bad to spend a couple weeks up in Wisconsin. Even Lorraine agreed to come after being needled and cajoled by the younger kids. The decision was made: they were going to Lake Winnetka.

* * *

Several days, one plane ride and one _long_ drive later, Charlie, Lorraine and Liz pulled up in front of the old lake house, where they were accosted by the enthusiastic greeting of the rest of the family. Liz allowed Mike to throw his arms around her neck, while Charlie scooped Jessica up and hugged Mark and Kim at the same time. Both of the twins broke free temporarily to kiss their mother and get a hug from Dad.

"Ungh," Lorraine groaned as she climbed out of the car. "It still smells the same here. Like dead leaves, unwashed animals and murky lake water."

Liz grinned affectionately as her younger sister accepted a kiss from their father, who reminded her, "That's called fresh air, sweetheart." He hugged all three of them again before turning to address the whole family. "Alright, let's eat!"

They settled around the table and dug into the hot pancakes and eggs. Once they'd all eaten something, Tom Baker called their attention. "Okay, after we eat, we're going to fix this place up. Who wants to help me put up the tire swing?"

"I'm going boarding with Eliot today, dude," Jake put in hastily.

"Kenneth's got video games," Mark added.

"Jess and I were going to use the Murtaugh's internet hookups to research for the Academic Decathlon," Kim supplied.

Jessica agreed swiftly. "Precisely, we need the extra hours."

Surprised, Liz leaned over to Sarah, who was sitting next to her. "The Murtaughs are here?"

"What about you, Sarah?"

Sarah jumped and spun around to face her father. "I was going to go boarding with Jake. And – and Eliot," she said, coloring slightly as she mentioned the Murtaugh her age. She dropped her eyes and turned back to her food. Liz watched her little sister intently for a minute before focusing on her own food, a small smile tugging gently at the corners of her mouth. She couldn't believe it! If she read the signs correctly, her tough little tomboy Sarah had a crush on Eliot Murtaugh. She hadn't seen him yet, so she wasn't sure how good-looking he was, but he'd obviously made an impression on Sarah. It was too cute! Her heart flipped a little as she allowed herself to think of another Murtaugh who might be vacationing at the lake. Calvin… Would he remember her?

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Dun dun dun!Cliffie! I like those... _

_Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed on the first chapter, even though there wasn't anything exciting to review on. On a quick side note: The Zimmermans won't make an appearance until the fifth or sixth chapter (not sure exactly), so don't get too antsy while waiting for them. I have some other plot situations to set up first before throwing them in. :) REVIEW PLEASE:)_


	3. THREE: Sleeplessness and Chaos

**Chapter Three: Sleeplessness and Chaos**

Liz groaned and turned over restlessly in the tent she was sharing with Sarah. She was supposed to share with Lorraine, but that darn girl had insisted on shoving a full-size cot into their two-man tent. So, Liz had crawled in to share with her favorite sister. _Why_ had their father insisted on sleeping outside? Forget it. She unzipped her sleeping bag, grabbed her pillow, and crawled outside. She was going back to the house.

"Good idea," she heard Sarah whisper behind her. Liz straightened before extending a hand to pull Sarah to her feet. In the dark, she collided with a sleepy Mike, then Charlie and Henry.

"You had the same idea, huh?" Charlie whispered.

"Yeah," Liz responded a little absently as she carefully picked her way back to the house. When she got inside where a single kitchen light burned, she caught sight of Jake, Lorraine and Mark climbing the stairs, while behind her, Kim, Jess, Nigel and Kyle fumbled sleepily for the door latch. With one arm slung around Sarah's shoulders and Charlie's hand between her shoulder blades, she gratefully climbed the staircase and found her way to her room, sinking deep into the springy mattress and falling asleep at last.

* * *

The angry buzz of a boat motor yanked Liz rudely from her dreams. Grumbling irritably, she rolled out of bed, crossing to the window to peer outside. Jimmy Murtaugh stood on the dock, talking to her father. Sighing, she pulled on a pair of sweats over her shorts and followed the stream of Baker kids going downstairs. She pushed the door open in time to hear Jimmy shout, "Mimosas at noon! On the dot!" before jumping onto his slalom ski and taking off.

"Yes!" Mark grinned as he turned back. "We're going to The Boulders!"

"Boulders…?" Liz repeated, confused.

"Yeah, the Murtaugh's place," Sarah said, grinning from ear to ear. "We're going over there for lunch!"

"Joy…" Liz mumbled. If Jimmy hadn't changed, she wasn't sure she could handle lunch with him in his house, Calvin or no Calvin. She disliked anyone slighting her family and Jimmy Murtaugh was especially good at it.

* * *

"Welcome to The Boulders!" a tall, willowy blonde greeted them with her arms outstretched. She came down the steps, followed by the Murtaugh crew.

Bending down to Henry, Liz muttered, "Who's the bimbo?"

"Shh!" Kate Baker hissed urgently, casting a reproachful glance at her daughter. "That's Mrs. Murtaugh."

"_Mrs._?" Liz repeated in an incredulous whisper, "She's young enough to be his daughter!"

"Dude," Jake muttered beside her, "I want to get inside before they kick us out. Don't piss him off."

Liz raised her eyebrows, then arranged her face into a politely interested expression. As introductions were made, she scanned the Murtaugh children, looking for Calvin, but a quick tally revealed that only seven of the eight were present. Mildly disappointed, she shifted her weight to one foot and clasped her hands in front of her, struggling to keep an interested expression. This was going to be a long lunch.

* * *

Thankfully, her boredom was relieved by the total fiasco at lunch. Gunner trashed the entire dining area going after a wad of raw meat that Sarah the Prankster had cleverly planted in one of the seat cushions. Despite the fact that the nice china was totally destroyed and that both Jimmy and her father ended up over the balcony and into the lake, Liz couldn't stop laughing about it the whole way home, a fact that seemed to aggravate Charlie.

"What's so funny about it?" he growled as they got ready for bed that night.

Liz made a face at him. "Just because Gunner ruined your day with Anne, it doesn't mean you have the right to jump down my throat."

"And _you_ only thought it was funny because Calvin wasn't there!" he retorted sharply. From the stunned look on his twin's face, he knew he'd struck a nerve. Without a word, she turned and stalked away, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Charlie sighed. So much for working _that_ out. He shook his head regretfully and went to the room he shared with Henry and Jake.

* * *

_So? What'd ya think? It's kind of the Sparknotes version of the scene in the movie, but I didn't want to spend too much time on it, so I skimmed. Oh yeah, and my disclaimer: CBTD and all its characters (except Liz, and the Zimmermans) are not mine._


	4. FOUR: Calvin

**Chapter Four: Calvin**

The purr of an idling boat engine roused Liz from her book she was studying for college. What _was_ it with the Murtaughs and disturbing her everyday with that stupid boat? Giving up on studying, she put her book aside and went outside to find her father confronting Eliot Murtaugh.

"Hi, Mr. Baker, I'm looking for Sarah."

Clearly puzzled, her father corrected, "You mean Jake."

"No, Sarah and me and Calvin are going boarding together this afternoon." Eliot gestured to the boat.

Calvin. Calvin was here. Feeling a surge of excitement, Liz excused herself past her father and Eliot, who sat down to talk. Hesitantly, she made her way to the end of the dock, where a burly, well-muscled, blonde-haired young man sat behind the wheel of the boat.

Her movement caught his eye and he turned to face her, his eyes brightening in recognition. "Elizabeth Baker!" he gripped her hand and appraised her quickly. "You look better than ever!"

Pleased, she smiled, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "You remember?" Inwardly, she chastised herself, _Get a grip, Liz Baker. You're twenty, not twelve. Stop acting like it's your first crush._ But actually, Calvin _was_ her first crush. She'd liked him since she was younger than Sarah and the memory of her first kiss – from him, on a sandy beach when she was fifteen – still glowed brightly in her mind.

Apparently, he remembered it as well, because he ducked his head and shifted his weight in the boat before asking nonchalantly, "So, what have you been up to?"

"I've been at Harvard for a year," she said, looking up to meet his eyes. "What about you?"

"I just got back from Yale," he said with an attempt at airiness. "I'm almost done with my fifth semester." Calvin was a couple of years older than Liz, which was the primary reason she'd never told her parents about her first kiss – her dad would have flipped if he'd found out that seventeen-year-old Calvin Murtaugh had been kissing his fifteen-year-old daughter.

* * *

The clatter of footsteps on the dock alerted them to Eliot and Sarah's arrival. "Oh, Liz!" Sarah, said, seeming surprised to see her standing there. She sized up the situation in a heartbeat and, casting a quick glance at Eliot, she added, "D'you want to come with us?"

"I don't know…" Liz said hesitantly, not wanting to intrude on her sister's outing with Eliot and still unsure if Calvin would mind.

The oldest Murtaugh soon dispelled any doubt she might have had. "C'mon, Baker," he cajoled, giving her a shadow of a wink. "You know you want to." He indicated the empty seat beside him. "Get in." He extended his hands for her to take and pulled her into the boat, catching her waist to steady her before turning to help Sarah get in and moving aside for Eliot.

Fortunately for Liz, she always wore a swimsuit under her clothes while at the lake, having learned from past experience that she never knew when her twin brother might shove her into the water. So she peeled off her t-shirt and her capris, tossing them back on the dock.

"Here," Calvin said, tossing her a life jacket. "It's Anne's, but she won't care if you use it. She likes you." Flattered, Liz said nothing, but focused instead on strapping the jacket on. Calvin watched her for a moment while Eliot dug up a life jacket for Sarah. "Can you ski?" he asked.

"A little, and not very well," Liz admitted.

"I'll teach you," he responded promptly.

Liz allowed her eyes to meet his again. "Well, if there's time, I suppose you could. This is Eliot and Sarah's outing. I don't want to invade on their fun."

Calvin shrugged carelessly. "Your choice." He turned to where Sarah and Eliot sat, their preparations finished. "You two ready?"

They glanced quickly at each other before responding together, "Yeah!"

Calvin nodded and got behind the wheel, igniting the engine.

"Hey! Guys!" a shout hailed them. Liz and Sarah turned in unison to see their father jogging down the dock, dressed outrageously in a full-body wetsuit and a bike helmet. "Mind if I come waterboarding with you?"

Calvin's eyebrows shot up and he glanced quickly at Liz, while Sarah groaned quietly and closed her eyes in exasperation. "It's _knee boarding_, Dad. And I'm pretty sure you can't do it," she said, a little irritably.

Tom Baker shrugged off her comment and hopped into the boat. Calvin had gotten to his feet and graciously extended his hand to the older man.

"Hey," Tom said, "You must be Calvin."

"Yes, I just got back from Yale," he replied.

"You know Sarah, and my second oldest daughter, Liz?" Tom asked, apparently forgetting that they'd had at least ten minutes to make introductions already.

Calvin cast a sidelong glance at Liz with a teasing flicker in his eyes that made her blush. "I've just met Sarah, and I know Liz from last time you guys were here."

Tom appeared interested. "Really? You two got to know each other last time?"

"Yeah," Calvin said nonchalantly, "Pretty well."

At this point, Liz could feel her face burning white-hot and she prayed that Calvin wouldn't tell her father that he'd kissed her. Now was definitely _not_ the time for that kind of news. Much to her tremendous relief, he restrained from further comment and gestured Tom to a seat.

Tom nodded briskly and wedged himself between Sarah and Eliot – a fact that annoyed them both, Liz deduced. He threw an arm around each of their shoulders and grinned madly. "This will be fun, huh guys!"

Liz shook her head, feeling embarrassed for her father, while at the same time, Sarah put on a sweet, innocent smile. "Sure, Dad, why don't you go first?"

He shrugged carelessly. "Why not?"

_Oh boy,_ Liz though inwardly, _he has no idea what he's getting himself into._ She wanted to warn him, but he'd already slipped over the side and into the water. Under Calvin's careful direction, he strapped himself to the board and got into position. When he was ready, Calvin returned to the pilot's seat and gunned the engine to pull Tom above the water.

Sarah and Eliot were placed in charge of watching him for any signals and they chatted easily about favorite classes and sports, while Liz sat across from Calvin and struggled vainly to keep her eyes from straying to his well-tanned arms and strong jaw line. He was apparently aware of her gaze, because he glanced at her and sent her a fleeting, warm smile before flicking his eyes back to the water in front of him. Liz felt her stomach swoop giddily at the same time that Sarah and Eliot let out a combined yell. She jerked around in her seat to see her father clinging to the rope and being dragged – boardless – through the waves. "STOP!" she and Eliot and Sarah cried together.

Calvin reacted quickly, killing the engine and bringing the boat to a stop. Liz leaped to the back of the boat to help her sister and Eliot bring in the line and pull her father out of the water. Calvin joined her a second later and they each took one of Tom's hands and heaved him into the boat. Worried as she was about her father, she was also acutely aware of Calvin's hand on the small of her back as he steadied her against the rocking of the boat on the waves. When they settled Tom in one of the seats and straightened, his hand lingered a second longer than necessary before he withdrew it and took his place behind the wheel to take them back to the dock.

Still feeling giddy and a little embarrassed, Liz decided to get off and help her father back to the house. She was about to follow him onto the dock when Calvin caught her arm. "You're getting off?" he asked, looking a little hurt. "I thought I was going to teach you how to ski."

Casting an apprehensive glance at Eliot and Sarah, who were watching intently, she replied in a low voice, "Maybe some other time, Calvin. I really should help my dad get inside."

"But –"

"Later, Calvin," Liz interrupted in a whisper, leaning closer to him so he could hear, "When it's just us."

She didn't wait to see his reaction, but turned, caught up her clothes, which were still on the dock, and jogged to catch up with her father. Inwardly, she felt a rushing sense of relief. Her head was still spinning from Calvin's nearness and from the way he'd seemed so disappointed that she was getting off and she doubted she could even remember how to ski properly. So, with her head filled with thoughts of Calvin Murtaugh, Liz escorted her father inside.

* * *

_What'd ya'll think? Calvin's probably the most undeveloped character in the movies, so it's actually kind of nice being able to expand on him a little without sending him OOC. Tell me how you liked it:)_

_Elena_


	5. FIVE: Dinner Social

**Chapter Five: Dinner Social**

"No way Lorraine!" Sarah shouted as she stormed into the room where Liz was fruitlessly trying to study. "You're _not_ getting me to wear that hideous dress!"

"Come on Sarah. You can't go looking like that. Talk about amajor fashion don't." Lorraine argued back, holding a frilly pink sundress draped over her arm.

Putting her book away for the umpteenth time, Liz interrupted Sarah's response. "Seriously you two, I'm trying to study. I have finals when I get back to school and I can't afford to fail them. Tone it down a little, 'kay?"

Lorraine looked up from her glaring match with Sarah. "She refuses to wear a dress or anything else close to decent to the event tonight!" she accused, obviously annoyed.

"Duh," Sarah interjected rudely. "Nothing said that I had to _dress up_."

"Well, that's not what –"

Liz clapped her hands loudly, silencing both of her sisters. "That's enough!" she said sharply. When she had their attention, she swung her legs off the bed and sat up. "Now, what's going on? What's this event?"

A dark, curly head peeked in. "Dude," Jake said, "it's a 'dinner social', whatever _that_ is."

Charlie leaned in and peered around. "Well, you've shut them up, Lizzy. Thanks. Oh, and Sarah, it _does _say on the invitation that dressy clothes are required, so you might as well pick something out, or I'll help Lorraine get that dress on you." Sarah stuck her tongue out at her oldest brother, which caused him to laugh. "Real mature, Sarah. Very fourteen. Hey," he added quickly, "I'm sure pants will be fine, if they're dressy. No gym shorts, got it?" He winked at Liz and ducked out, nudging Jake along in front of him. As he left, Liz caught his remark to Jake: "Leave the girls alone, little bro, let them do their thing without us. They're good at it."

She chuckled softly to herself and leaned down to pull out her suitcase and survey her wardrobe options. Eventually, she settled on a close-fitting white polo shirt and a flirty white-with-blue-embroidery skirt that came to just above her knees. She pony tailed her long brown hair and dabbed on a bit up makeup before helping Sarah choose a pair of cream flares, a green light-weight tee and a matching headband. She braided her hair and pinned it up, brushing her bangs to one side and declared her ready. "Good enough, Tomboy," she teased gently. Kim and Jessica were dressed in matching little-girl halter tops and khaki capris while Lorraine was decked out in her usual mega-trendy clothes.

"Kids, come on!" Kate called down the hall, "Let's go!"

Liz herded her sisters down the hall, stopping to slip her white strappy sandals off until she got in the car. She hopped into Charlie's car with Lorraine and Bud and Nora – who would be joining the parents upstairs – whereon her twin let out a low whistle. "I might have to beat Calvin off with a stick. Daniel too."

"Thanks bro," Liz scoffed, appraising her twin's navy sweater and dressy slacks. "I'll fence Anne off for you, deal?"

"Whatever you two," Lorraine interrupted, "Let's go."

* * *

They arrived ahead of the van carrying the rest of their family and were met at the door by Mike Romanow. "Welcome Bakers! The party's just started! Kids and single young folks downstairs, parents this way…" he escorted Tom, Kate, Bud and Nora through the double French doors while the twelve other Bakers made their way down the outside steps to the party below.

Liz's eyebrows went up and she cast an apprehensive glance at Charlie as she took in the dozens of teens gyrating slowly in time to the music. For reasons she wasn't willing to admit, she felt distinctly out of place.

"Welcome to high society," Charlie muttered in her ear as two figures broke away from the crowd and approached. The boy looked to be Liz and Charlie's age, maybe a little older, while the girl was similarly close to their age. Both were decked out in expensive formal evening attire, making Liz feel acutely underdressed. The boy looked her over while his sister – for they looked like siblings – cast an appreciative eye over Charlie's slightly tight sweater.

"The name's Braddock," the boy said with a distinct air of superiority, "Braddock Zimmerman, from the North Shore of Long Island. My dad owns one of the largest advertising industries in the world. This is my sister Kelly." He reached for Liz's hand and brought it to his lips, winking slyly at her. "We're the hosts of this little party."

Charlie glared darkly at the new kid and slipped a protective arm around his sister's shoulders, pulling her away ever so slightly. "I'm Charlie Baker and this is my twin sister Liz," he introduced briskly.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Kelly simpered, batting her eyes at Charlie.

Braddock glanced at his sister in what appeared to be surprise before sidling a little closer to Liz and slipping an arm around her waist, smoothly displacing Charlie's hand from her shoulders. "So, what brings you two to this rustic little lake?" he asked casually.

"We're here with…" Charlie trailed off suddenly as Kelly boldly looped her arm through his. "… with our family," he continued, mastering his surprise.

"Oh?" Braddock squeezed Liz a little tighter and brushed her cheek with his lips. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you, Liz Baker?" he murmured in her ear.

She tried to wriggle free, but found she couldn't. So, she resorted to talk. "We're here with our parents and our eleven other siblings," she said bluntly, hoping the number might scare him off.

Instead he didn't seem to mind. "What's your phone number sweetie?" he asked, seemingly ignoring her last statement.

Charlie's fists clenched, but Kelly saw this and faked a slip, forcing him to catch her and take his attention off Braddock and Liz.

Liz pushed him away. "Why do you want it?" she asked rudely.

"You're adorable when you're demanding," was his only response.

Suddenly a pair of vice-like hands closed on the city boy's shoulders and shoved him away from her. "Back off, Zimmerman," Calvin growled, stepping smoothly between them. Anne stood behind him with Daniel, glaring with deep dislike at Kelly, who immediately straightened and backed away from Charlie. Calvin continued to speak, "Leave her alone."

"What does it matter to you, Murtaugh?" Braddock sneered. "You got your eyes on her? Go back to your physics book, Ivy League boy."

Calvin's lip curled. "Go find someone else to flirt with, Zimmerman. She's not your date."

"I'm hosting this party," Braddock hissed venomously, "I'll choose whatever date I want." He reached past Calvin and pulled Liz back to him. She pushed against his chest, but he was stronger than he appeared and she couldn't fight him.

Calvin traded a glance with his younger brother Daniel and gave the tiniest nod. In a trice, Daniel had Braddock's arms trapped and Calvin again stepped between Liz and Braddock. "Don't make me repeat myself, Zimmerman," Calvin said dangerously, "I'll hit you if I have to."

Braddock may have talked tough, but Liz could see him glance nervously at Calvin's clenched fist and all the fight went out of him. He shrugged Daniel off and, with a disgusted snort, stalked off, Kelly following in his wake.

* * *

_And thus the Zimmerman's make an entrance. Let me know what you think of them! I know it's only the two so far, but I'll get some Sarah/Eliot/Evan stuff in soon for all you big Sarah/Eliot fans! Review please!_


	6. SIX: Dancing and Fighting

**Chapter Six: Dancing and Fighting**

"Well, who did he think he was?" Charlie asked in disgust as Anne approached and stood discreetly at his side. He noticed this and graciously offered his arm, which she took.

"That was Braddock Zimmerman," Calvin said heavily. "I'd steer clear of him, if I were you. Thinks he's some big shot because of his dad, but he's never achieved anything in his life besides a night with a girl."

"Way to give them the heads up _after_ the fact, Cal," Daniel remarked.

Liz and Charlie laughed in good humor before Charlie turned to Anne. "Want to dance?"

"Dad may not like it…" she replied, trailing off as a wicked smile crossed her face. "So, sure."

As they disappeared into the mass of people and Daniel drifted off to keep his younger sisters company, Calvin and Liz were left standing alone in awkward silence. Finally, Liz murmured, "Thanks for what you did. You didn't have to."

Calvin merely responded by taking her hand and entwining his fingers with hers. He glanced at her, his hazel eyes sparkling. "Dance with me?"

Feeling a blush creep up her neck, Liz nodded and allowed him to lead her out onto the floor. When they reached a clear spot, he turned to face her and pulled her close, guiding her arms around his neck and settling his own around her waist. Liz sighed inwardly as she settled into a gentle sway in time to the music and felt Calvin's cheek touch her own. "So," he murmured at length, "you never told your dad?"

Though he wasn't providing any frame of reference, Liz knew what he was talking about. "No, he would've flipped out. You're two years older than me."

"Two years isn't that much of a difference."

"It is when you're only fifteen," she responded quietly.

Calvin laughed softly. "I'd forgotten that's how young you were. I'm one for robbing the cradle, aren't I?" He was quiet for a minute before he pulled back slightly to look into her face. "Did you know that no girl's ever really appealed to me since?"

Liz pulled a face. "Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know…" he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'll have to think about that one…"

"Don't be mean!" Liz scolded playfully.

"D'you want the truth?" he asked, his eyes turning more serious. When Liz nodded, he continued, "What I mean is that ever since I met you, no other girl seems to be –"

"Calvin!" Eliot called out as he darted between the dancers, coming their way. He looked distressed and angry.

Calvin stopped dancing and pulled away from Liz, though still keeping a hand on her arm. "What is it?"

"It's the Zimmermans. Evan won't leave Sarah alone and he set Braddock after me to keep me from helping her." He cast a nervous glance over his shoulder, as if expecting Braddock Zimmerman to come charging through the swirling dancers at him. "I lost him in the crowd, but I know he's still looking for me."

"What about Jake?" Liz asked as Calvin's hand tightened painfully on her arm. Jake and Sarah were inseparable, and she knew that he wouldn't tolerate any boy making trouble for his older sister.

"He went looking for you a while ago, before Evan showed up. Said he needed you for something."

Fury smoldered in Calvin's eyes and he broke away from them, stalking dangerously in the direction from which Eliot had come. Concerned, Liz put a hand on Eliot's shoulder and steered him after Calvin. "I hope he won't hurt anybody," she said anxiously.

"He might," Eliot remarked. "He hates Braddock. Always has."

Liz's responding question died on her lips as they exited the dance floor and she could see Sarah surrounded by Kelly, another girl who could easily be her twin, and a boy about Eliot and Sarah's age. He was wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "No girl messes with me like that," he growled, advancing on her. Sarah raised her fists for another strike, but Kelly seized her arms and pinned them at her sides. Petite little Sarah could do nothing to resist the bigger girl. Liz glanced around for Calvin, but he was nowhere to be found. He must have gone looking for Braddock.

"Leave her alone!" a fierce little voice cried out as Mike raced in and tried to pummel the boy – Evan, Eliot had called him – in every place he could reach. Before he could inflict any damage though, the other girl caught him roughly and pushed him away.

Her blood boiling, Liz jumped forward to give both girls a piece of her mind, and perhaps her fists, but her forward momentum stopped suddenly as someone grabbed her from behind and pinioned her arms behind her back. "Don't you _dare_ touch my sisters," a voice that she now recognized as Braddock's growled in her ear.

To her surprise, Eliot, who had faded into a group of people a few feet away at Braddock's appearance, materialized at her side and dealt a hefty blow to the older boy's stomach, causing him to buckle and release her. Braddock's retaliatory strike was halted in midair as Calvin crept up behind him and seized his wrists.

By now, they had caused enough commotion to draw the attention of those around them, including several members of the Baker and Murtaugh families. Liz dodged aside as Braddock attempted a swing at Calvin and ran into her brother, Charlie, who had approached with Anne and Jake. Charlie caught her, preventing her from falling and steadied her. "What's going on?" he asked. 

"Sarah!" Jake called in surprise. He had noticed the three Zimmermans surrounding his sister by now, and his usually calm, relaxed demeanor evaporated. His shout had drawn Charlie's attention and he swiftly let go of Liz and crossed over to Evan Zimmerman, seizing him roughly by the collar and shoving him aside. Kelly attempted to interfere, but Anne jumped in and deflected her arms, while Henry helped Mike to his feet and stopped Evan from standing back up. Charlie smiled down at his little sister before guiding her back to where Liz stood, now accompanied by Daniel, Lorraine, Becky, Mark and Kenneth.

Beyond them, Braddock still struggled against Calvin's hold and managed to shove an elbow into his stomach. Calvin grunted and his hold loosened. Braddock seized his chance and walloped the oldest Murtaugh across his left cheek. Daniel and Charlie both saw this and jumped Braddock, pulling him away from Calvin, whose lip and nose had started to bleed.

All at once, the room was swarming with the Club's burly staff members, who dispersed the crowd and grappled Calvin, Daniel, and Charlie away from Braddock; Kelly and her sister away from Anne; and Henry, Jake, Mike and Eliot away from Evan. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" one of the security men shouted above the noise of the Zimmermans, Murtaughs and Bakers yelling at each other. Before she could so much as blink, Liz found herself being forcefully escorted outside and up the stairs to where all the adults waited. She could make out her father and mother standing at the top of the steps, both glaring furiously down at them, while Jimmy Murtaugh could be seen just behind her parents, shaking his fists angrily at someone behind her – she assumed it was one of the Murtaughs.

_Great,_ she thought, hanging her head in defeat, _we're all in _so_ much trouble…_

_

* * *

_

_Another cliffie! Enjoy it! Actually, you probably won't wait long, if at all becauset the next chapter's going up right after this one. Don't forget to drop a little review on your way through!_

_Oh, and thanks to Donny304 for your faithful reviews! Don't you have any constructive crit, though? I'm not a perfect writer! And thanks to everyone else as well. I don't remember all the names, so sorry. I'll get in the real thank yous when I'm done with the story. :) _


	7. SEVEN: Repercussions

**Chapter Seven: Repercussions**

"I. Can't. Believe. It." Her dad paced back and forth among all twelve siblings while Nora, Bud, and their mother looked on. "_Fighting_? In _public_? You know, I realize that your mother and I haven't been as strict with you as we should have been, but at least I thought we taught you how to act like decent, civilized people. This was a fancy occasion!"

"But Dad –" Sarah objected.

"No 'buts'" he silenced her. "You have no excuse for what happened down there."

"Dude, it wasn't us, Dad," Jake put in, speaking fast to get his piece in before their father silenced him, too.

"Yeah, it was them," Mark said, pointing across the Club lobby where Mrs. Zimmerman was crooning over her four children, who sat there looking completely innocent.

"If Evan hadn't threatened Sarah –" Henry started.

"– None of this would have happened," Lorraine finished unexpectedly. Liz was surprised that her younger sister was taking the floor, but it appeared that they at last had their father's attention. Apparently sensing this, Lorraine continued, "Evan was trying to force Sarah to dance or kiss him or something – I'm not sure – and so naturally, we all intervened. It wasn't our fault that those…"

"… snobby, selfish, rich, yuppie city kids?" Henry supplied.

"Yeah. It wasn't our fault that they wanted to fight back. We just wanted to get Sarah out of there. Besides," Lorraine added, "the Murtaughs did most of the fighting."

Liz glanced over to where the Murtaughs were sitting. Jimmy was lecturing them sternly and in such a manner that all his kids simply sat there with their heads bowed submissively. Even Calvin, though he had large wad of tissue pressed to his nose to stop the bleeding and an ice pack against his cheek. Eliot sported a swollen lip and Anne had a couple minor scratches down one cheek. Daniel had remarkably made it through without a scratch. Jimmy had apparently finished lecturing and came over to the Bakers in time to hear Tom say, "Alright, I believe you. Just don't let it happen again. Go get your things."

"Is that all you're going to say to them, Baker?" Jimmy asked, a little rudely.

"It's not your business what I say to them, Jimmy," Tom said quietly.

Not in the mood to listen to them argue, Liz allowed Charlie to help her to her feet before she went over to the Murtaughs. Sarina had a cold compress on which she poured a little antiseptic and was using it to dab lightly on Eliot's lip. She looked up and smiled slightly at Liz's approach. Liz smiled back and crouched in front of Calvin, who groggily acknowledged her. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"I've felt better," he admitted wryly, "but it _was_ nice to kick the crap out of Braddock tonight."

Liz laid a hand on his knee. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Daniel remarked dryly, his eyes closed as he rested his head on the back of the couch. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Sarina smiling. Maybe the new Mrs. Murtaugh wasn't so bad after all.

"None of the Zimmermans are exactly… likeable," Anne murmured as she accepted a moist cloth from Becky and used it to clean her scratches. "Ever since we first met them the summer after the last time you guys were here, they've made our lives miserable. They think they're the most important people at the lake, despite the fact that _our_ dad owns most of it. And they have a knack for getting us in trouble, if you haven't noticed."

Charlie came over and leaned casually on the back of the couch behind Anne's head. "Yeah, we noticed. They kind of got us in trouble, too."

"At least your dad didn't chew you out like it was all your fault that Evan wanted to make trouble for Sarah," Eliot muttered sourly.

"Hey," Sarina said placatingly as Sarah came and stood shyly behind her before discreetly sitting down on the floor by Eliot's feet.

Any further discussion was cut short by Jimmy's return. He eyed the three Bakers sternly. "Alright Murtaughs, in the cars. Now."

Silently, all eight kids got to their feet – some more painfully than others – and filed out the front doors, leaving Charlie, Sarah, and Liz standing together, glancing apprehensively at each other. "I think he was a little too harsh," Sarah whispered.

"You think?" Charlie scoffed.

"Shh," Liz murmured as they allowed themselves to be caught up in the flow of Baker kids rushing out to the cars, chattering loudly in the night air. "Don't give Dad more reasons to hate Jimmy."

* * *

_I actually kind of liked Sarina in this chapter. She annoys me in the movie (except at the end, when she chews Jimmy out -- that was amazing ;) And never fear, movie canon lovers, I'll get back to the movie plot next chapter. I just thought I'd throw a little extra scene in so that I could introduce the Zimmermans. Keep the reviews coming:)_


	8. EIGHT: Changes and Close Calls

**Chapter Eight: Changes and Close Calls**

The next day when Liz awoke, she rolled over to find Lorraine flipping through the latest issue of _Allure_ and humming softly to herself. "What's got _you_ in such a good mood?" she asked.

Lorraine jumped. "Oh, I didn't know you were up. Sleep well?"

"Sure. No different from normal." She glanced around. "Where is everybody?"

"Out," Lorraine said simply as she returned her attention to the magazine.

Liz grinned. "Well, I can see I'm not going to get much information out of you." She flipped back the covers and swung out of bed, pulling on a pale purple bathrobe. "See you later, Lori." Lorraine nodded vaguely in response, making Liz smile even more as she left the room and padded lightly down the hall to the kitchen. Her mother was standing at the sink, rinsing dishes. Apparently they'd skipped the big family breakfast this morning. "Hey Mom, is it fend-for-yourself this morning?"

Kate turned and smiled at her second-oldest daughter. "Something like that. I _was_ going to make scones again, but Charlie was up at the crack of dawn to go jogging and Kim and Jess came down to eat and study. I haven't seen the rest of the kids this morning, so I made something for myself and they can attack the cold cereal when they're hungry. Oh, and your father and I have that tennis date with Jimmy and Sarina later this morning, so I'll need you to stay close to the house in case anybody needs anything. Is that okay?"

"Sure, Mom," Liz replied as she dug out the Captain Crunch and poured a bowl. "Just as long as I get the afternoon to myself."

"Deal." Kate said. Liz glanced at her and they both grinned, enjoying the mother-daughter moment.

* * *

Liz sat out on the dock later that morning, dipping her feet in the water and splashing every so often to watch the sunlight dance on the droplets. She glanced around for Charlie, wondering if he'd gotten back yet. She hadn't seen him all morning and was surprised when he still hadn't come back by the time their parents had left.

"Mrs. Baker?" a voice asked. Liz turned to see a man in the Club staff uniform standing on the dock behind her.

Pulling her legs out of the water and getting to her feet, she approached him. "I'm her daughter. Can I help you?"

He looked distressed that she was not who he was looking for. "Are your parents around?"

"Nope. They're playing tennis over at the club. Why?"

"One of your siblings created a little trouble at the gift shop. Got caught lifting some makeup. Well, I'll go find them, thanks for your help." He nodded and jogged back to his car, igniting the engine and taking off.

Raising an eyebrow, Liz muttered, "You're welcome…"

She thought for a moment about grabbing her keys and following him over there, but decided against it. She'd find out soon enough who it was and besides, she had Nigel, Kyle, Kim and Jessica to look after.

A couple hours later, she'd learned enough to send her head reeling. Sarah hadgotten caught for stealing makeup, Kenny and Mark had trashed the tennis court, and they were signed up to compete in the Labor Day Cup again. Tom Baker called a meeting to organize who would be participating in which event. "From this moment on, no seeing the Murtaughs, no talking about the Murtaughs, no thinking about the Murtaughs."

"Can't we compete and still, like, see them?" Sarah demanded.

"_No_," their father replied promptly.

"Dad –" Liz began.

"No more objections," Tom overrode her, "I am no longer a father, I am your coach. We have a week to get ready and I want everyone doing their best. Now let's go!"

* * *

For the next five days, Liz felt her pent-up frustration growing. She watched her younger siblings starting to crack under the constant nagging of their father and watched as Sarah grew more and more angry. One afternoon, Liz had finally gotten free of her father's training for the volleyball game and she snuck down to the docks, where, to her surprise, she found Sarah. "Hey," she said gently as she sat down beside her younger sister. "What's up?"

Sarah didn't answer for a few minutes. Then, "I'm starting to wish we'd never come. This whole vacation sucks."

"The _whole_ vacation sucks?" Liz asked, nodding pointedly toward The Boulders.

She was rewarded with a small smile. "Well," Sarah conceded, "Not the _whole_ vacation, I guess."

"So what are you going to do about Eliot? That's why you stole the makeup, wasn't it?" Liz asked gently.

Sarah blushed. "Don't remind me, please, Lizzie? And what about Eliot?"

"Are you ever going to let him know how you feel?"

"Probably not. We can't talk to them, remember? Besides, I'm not the only one who's hiding her feelings." Sarah stared pointedly at Liz. "What about you and Calvin? What's happening with you two?"

"Nothing, right now," Liz admitted. "I don't think he's really all that interested in me anymore."

"But he –"

"Hey baby! Lizzie Baker!" Liz looked up to see Braddock cruising across the water on a jet ski. Behind him, Evan, Kelly and his second sister – Rachel – fanned out and slowed as they pulled in toward the dock. Liz stood, pulling Sarah up beside her.

"What do you want, Zimmerman?" Liz asked coldly.

"Your body," he replied. Liz felt her insides freeze.

"Hey Baker, where's your brother? The hot one?" Kelly called out. Rachel giggled beside her.

"Sarah, want to come hang with me?" Evan called, patting the seat behind him.

Liz took a step back, pulling Sarah with her. "Time to go," she whispered to her sister. As one, they turned and walked away, but not fast enough. The engines shut off and Liz heard and felt the dock shake as Braddock jumped onto it. In a few strides, he'd covered the distance between them and caught her arm. "Nobody walks away from me, sweetie."

"Yeah, well, I just did," Liz retorted rudely. "How's that feel on your oversized ego?" At the same time, she kept herself between Sarah and the Zimmermans, having noticed Evan sidling his way past Braddock. "Braddock? Did you know that I have eleven other brothers and sisters, plus my parents, sitting in the house. All it takes is a little shout, and every single one of them will be out here to pound you into a shapeless lump."

"Hey Liz!" Daniel called out from his canoe he was sharing with Eliot as they paddled lazily around the lake. He'd come close enough to realize that something was up. "Do you need help?" He grinned and turned to Eliot. "Get your phone out and call Calvin and Anne down here, they'll want to help run these city kids off the Bakers' property."

Braddock's eyes shifted uneasily between Liz and Daniel. A minute later, he apparently decided that he wasn't ready to handle thirteen Bakers and four Murtaughs all at once. "C'mon guys," he muttered sourly, hastily and gingerly touching the still-healing bruise on his cheek – a gift from his last encounter with Calvin. Liz smirked as he and his siblings slid back onto their jet skis and tore off toward the far end of the lake, leaving the Murtaugh's canoe rocking in their wakes.

She raised a hand and waved to Daniel. "Thanks, Murtaugh!" she called.

"No problem, Baker," he responded. "Calvin sends you his regards," he added a second later, winking cheekily.

"You behave, Daniel Murtaugh!" she scolded good-naturedly. She turned to Sarah, who was staring at Eliot shyly. "Come on, little sis, let's go back before Dad comes looking for us." Sarah nodded and, with a small wave at Eliot, turned and followed Liz back to the house.

* * *

_Yeah, skimmed over version of the lovely little montage in the movie of their training for the Labor Day Cup. I still have to think of an event for Liz to compete in that's not already taken, so if anybody has any ideas, that would be great. Just put it in your review as you drop it off before going to the next chapter! You know you'd love to! Thanks guys!_

_Elena_


	9. NINE: Just the Two of Us

_The twins do a little soul searching... :)_

**Chapter Nine: Just the Two of Us**

Liz jogged up the last few feet of the trail until she came to the old pavilion, where Charlie stood, waiting. When she slowed to catch her breath, he grinned and said, "Took you long enough, Lizzie."

"Hey," she replied defensively, "I'm not in the greatest shape right now, thanks to all the hours I have to spend in front of the computer at school."

Charlie shrugged carelessly and tsked lightly. "Should've stayed home and gotten a job with me at the garage."

Liz slugged him as she climbed into the pavilion and settled down on the floor, leaning back against the railing. "Not on your life, bro, I wouldn't know what I was doing. At least at Harvard I can prove that I know something about pharmaceutical chemistry."

Charlie sat down beside her and sighed as he leaned back. "It's nice to be away from Dad and his 'training camp', isn't it?"

"Mmm," Liz mumbled. She closed her eyes and rested her head on Charlie's shoulder, feeling more relaxed than she had all week. "I _really_ don't want to compete in this Labor Day Cup thing again," she murmured as Charlie leaned his head against hers. "Why can't Dad see that we don't want to compete against the Murtaughs? We all get along so well, except for Jimmy and Dad, and they're both making us all suffer for it." She paused for a moment and opened her eyes to take in the beauty of their surroundings. "I love this place, but I wish we could enjoy it for what it is instead of getting caught up in the constant Jimmy vs. Dad war."

She could feel Charlie nod in agreement. "Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"What if I told you that I want to move up here and open up a garage?"

She lifted her head to meet her brother's eyes. "When did you decide this?"

"About a week ago, I was up here with Anne and we sat and talked for a long time. Turns out she's totally not into the whole plan her dad has worked out for her. She wants to be an artist. And, while we talked, I realized how much I really wanted to move up here and open my own garage. I'd forgotten how much I wanted to, until we came back." He stopped. "So? Do you think Dad'll flip? I know it would be farther for you to come if you wanted to visit, but I could always go down to Chicago while you're there."

"No," Liz said, shaking her head, "I'd much rather come here on my breaks than spend it in crowded, polluted Chicago. This place is actually a lot like the Harvard Campus – rustic and beautiful. And Dad won't flip if you tell him at the right time. Besides, it's not like he can do a whole lot about it. You're twenty now, and old enough to make your own choices."

"So are you, sis," Charlie reminded her, "What are your plans for your future?" When she gave him a confused look, he continued, "Come on, I know you're getting your degree in pharmacy or whatever, but what about after that? Are you going to be some career woman, or marry some handsome guy and settle down to raise a family like Mom did?"

Liz dropped her eyes. "You know what? I don't really know. I haven't thought a lot about life _after_ college. I spent all my energy just trying to get there and now to get through it." She laughed wryly. "I haven't even seriously dated a guy at all. Boys just aren't a priority when I'm at school."

Staring pointedly at her, Charlie asked, "What about when you're here? Calvin still seems to catch your eye often enough."

Unwillingly, Liz felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She nudged against her twin. "Yeah, we've hung out a few times, but there's not really anything else to the relationship. We're just friends now."

"Even after that kiss last time we were here?" The only person Liz had ever told about her first kiss with Calvin was Charlie, and he'd never mentioned it before now.

Liz sighed. "Charlie, that's the past. This is now. You and Anne have a good thing going on, but it can't be all perfect for everybody, you know. Calvin has other things to worry about, and I'm sure that, as good-looking as he is, he's probably got a girlfriend waiting for him back at Yale. The only interaction we've had has been as friends."

Charlie scoffed and shifted until he was sitting facing Liz. "No, Liz, there's been a lot more to it than that. You're just so afraid that he'll reject you that you won't give him a chance. I think he's interested in more than friendship, Liz. And you can't fool me, there's no way that you've gotten over him. Not even close."

Liz stared at him for a moment before allowing a smile to cross her face, then a small laugh escaped her mouth. Shaking her head in resignation, she said, "You know me too well."

Charlie was about to respond when a rustle of leaves and branches caught their attention. Through the foliage, a jogging figure could be spotted, drawing closer.

* * *

_Dun dun dun... who could it be? >:) Well, you won't have long to wait, because my internet's been down and I wrote like, four chapters during that time, so they're all going up in the next few minutes. Don't forget to review!_


	10. TEN: Confessions and Betrayal

**Chapter Ten: Confessions and Betrayal**

Liz stiffened, afraid that it might be Braddock yet again. To her surprise, it was Calvin, apparently out for a little jaunt through the woods. He stopped short when he saw them. "Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's all right, Murtaugh," Charlie replied, "We were just taking a break from the family for a while. What brings you out here?"

Calvin rolled his eyes. "Same thing. Dad won't let any of us anywhere near you guys, so I figured I'd go for a run and hope that I might run into someone." He grinned. "I guess it worked." A brief, awkward silence followed until Calvin cleared his throat and addressed Charlie, "Anne had the same idea I had, she's waiting by the dock for you, if you're interested."

Charlie straightened. "She's waiting for me?"

The older boy nodded, clearly amused. "Didn't you hear me the first time, Baker?"

Charlie glanced apologetically at Liz. "You don't mind, do you?"

Liz shook her head and pushed him gently. "Get going, Chars. Don't keep a lady waiting." She grinned as he jogged off through the trees, then turned back to face Calvin, feeling herself blush under his gaze. "So, how's life treating you? Your face looks better, now."

"What?"

"I meant the 'war wounds' you got from Braddock at that dance last week," she amended hastily, hoping she hadn't insulted him.

He laughed a little. "I gave more than I got, I think. Though most of his bruises aren't where they'd be normally visible unless he's in a swimsuit." He shifted his weight slightly. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Liz nodded and extended her hand for him to pull her to her feet, which he did easily. They stood for a moment, inches apart before Calvin stepped back and offered his arm. They wandered through the woods for some time, just enjoying the scenery and each other's company in silence, until Liz finally cleared her throat and said, "So, you never finished what you were saying that night at the dance – something about girls not appealing to you… What did you mean by that?"

"What do you think I meant?" Calvin responded cryptically.

Liz made a face at him. "That's not fair, Calvin Murtaugh. You're supposed to answer the question, not ask me another one."

He stopped and turned to face her, taking her hands in his. When hestarted to speak, his voice was low and serious. "I meant that, ever since I met you, no other girl seems good enough for me. You saw me as me – the lost, oldest son with a controlling father and seven younger siblings who didn't know what he really wanted from life – instead of the smart, handsome, do-everything Murtaugh boy with the perfect life. You saw the physics whiz, not some future pro-athlete. You made me feel like I could do anything I wanted to."

He paused for a moment. "I was jealous of you at first. I thought you had the perfect life – a loving family, cool parents, and your life all planned out the way you wanted it – even if you were only fifteen. You showed me that no one can be perfect, but that you can be happy anyway, if you choose it. I know too many girls who live with their heads in the clouds, dreaming of someday being beautiful and never realizing that they already are. They obsess over their hair, their clothes, their makeup, and never pay attention to anyone but themselves. When I saw you that summer, I realized how beautiful you were. It was more than your hair and your face – which are beautiful, by the way," he added promptly, making Liz blush, "It was the way you always smiled, always laughed. You would get in water fights with your siblings, fall into the lake and never freak out about your hair getting ruined, roll in the sand with your baby brothers, or camp out with Charlie under the stars, even when you got poured on. And you never minded, because your family was more important than your image, and that made you beautiful."

He suddenly pulled Liz close, his face inches from hers. "And the last thing: of all the girlfriends, all the dates and valentines I've had, I've never met anyone who can make me feel so…" he trailed off, searching for the right word, "…vulnerable. I feel shy and awkward whenever you come around. I forget how to breathe right, and my stomach feels like it's full of butterflies." Liz breathed in sharply, feeling her heart skip a few beats as Calvin's eyes searched her own. "I think… I think I'm in love with you, Liz Baker, and I want to know if you feel the same."

Liz smiled faintly, feeling her legs tremble as she went up on tiptoe to meet his lips. He seemed surprised at first, but he quickly returned her kiss, hugging her tighter.

Suddenly a sharp pain exploded in Liz's shoulder as a sharp-nailed hand clamped down and pulled her away from Calvin. She was spun around to see Rachel Zimmerman standing there, seething. "How dare you kiss my fiancé!" She shrieked, her eyes blazing. She swung to slap Liz's cheek, but the older girl ducked aside, putting several feet between them.

Despite the fact that Rachel had missed, Liz felt as though she _had _been slapped. Calvin? Engaged to that… witch? She turned her eyes on Calvin, "But I thought you said –"

"No," Calvin interrupted, "it's not what you think! I don't care about… Dad planned this, not me… I don't have a choice! If I had my way I would –" he was cut off abruptly as Rachel clamped a hand over his mouth.

"You have a choice," Liz said coldly, backing slowly away. "You could have at least told me the truth and not led me on with all that stuff about what I saw in you and how different I was from other girls. What were you trying to do? Have a last summer fling before tying yourself down?"

"No, Liz, I wanted to –" he stopped when she held up a hand.

"Don't waste your breath on excuses, Murtaugh. I'll see you at the Labor Day Cup." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with Rachel's hands clamped around his arm.

* * *

Liz came stomping out of the woods and up the stairs to the house. Charlie and Anne were sitting on the dock and Charlie called out, "Liz! How'd it go with –" he was cut off by the slamming of the screen door as she went inside without acknowledging him.

She passed Nigel and Kyle, who were chasing each other around with Nerf guns, and Jess and Kim studying on the couch, and entered her room, where Lorraine sat in a chair, reading a magazine. Ignoring her younger sister's look of concern, Liz fell onto her bed and punched her pillow in frustration. How could she have allowed herself to believe that she had a chance with Calvin? She had known all along that it was too good to be true.

"Liz?" Lorraine asked, sounding worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied, feeling her voice tremble with emotion and willing herself not to cry, "I'm fine."

"You know no one's ever going to believe that, Lizzie," Lorraine pointed out, putting her magazine aside. "If this is about the Cup thing…"

"Look, Lorraine," Liz interrupted, sitting up a little, "I know you're trying to help, but I just need some time alone, all right? I don't want to talk to anybody… not even Charlie."

Lorraine raised her eyebrows. Liz refusing to even talk to Charlie was a big deal, and it only happened once in about every six years. However, when it did happen, Liz meant it, and Lorraine knew better than to interfere. Giving her older sister a small smile, she gathered up her magazine and discreetly left the room.

* * *

When Liz emerged from her room later that day, she had come to the resolution that she would not mention Calvin ever again and she determined not to give him another second's thought. The phone rang and she went to pick it up. "Hi, is Liz Baker there?"

"This is she."

"Liz, it's Calvin –" She didn't wait to hear the rest, but slammed the phone back on its receiver and went outside, still trying to drive the memory of that morning from her thoughts.

"Hey, honey," Kate Baker greeted as she came down the steps. "Sarah just left to go to the movies with Eliot. She looked absolutely adorable…" she trailed off, taking a closer look at her second daughter. "Are you feeling okay, Lizzie?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just had a rough morning, don't ask me to explain."

Charlie rose from his seat beneath the tree and came over to her. "Anne called a little while ago. Calvin came home in a bad mood and she wanted to know if you knew anything about it." When Liz didn't answer, he sighed. "You probably do, but I know better than to push you." He pulled her into a hug and whispered, "Tell me when you're ready, okay?"

Grateful for his understanding, Liz hugged him back, enjoying the feeling of being safe in her twin's arms. Safe from Braddock and Calvin, safe from other people's questions, and safe from her own emotions.

* * *

_And, enter the drama. Of course there has to be drama. And Eliot/Sarah fans? Don't worry, I'll put a little more about them in later. Right now, we have to sort out this little mess with Calvin, eh? Please review! Oh, and, a little favor, just as a gimme present if you will: please write down at least one thing you like and/or dislike about this story so that I know what's good for future stories and what's not. Seriously. I need feedback. I love you guys who review every chapter with "please update" because it lets me know that you're interested and you care about my story, but please please please do this for me! Heck, here's a bribe: I'll write a little one-shot for the fastest response - like/dislike included - and dedicate it to that person. Any CBTD couple you want! _

_Call me desperate. I love you all:)_

_Elena_


	11. ELEVEN: Labor Day and Calvin in Charge

**Chapter Eleven: Labor Day/ Calvin in Charge**

Liz awoke the next morning and realized that it was Labor Day, the day of the competition. Hurriedly she dressed and went to the kitchen, where she found her mother cooking pancakes. "No Labor Day Cup, then?" she asked, confused.

"Well, your father took Nigel and Kyle to compete. No one else wanted to go, not after last night with Sarah and her date," her mother said, sighing. "Your father still hasn't learned to let go."

Much as she hated her dad's training regimen for the Labor Day Cup, she found that she had actually been looking forward to competing, just for the fun of it. Still, she felt relieved that she didn't have to go. For personal reasons.

"Hey, the Chiseler's got my wallet!" she heard Jake cry in the other room, where he and Henry had been straightening things up. This was followed by a thump and a crash as they hurled things at the rat.

Liz, Kate, and the rest of the kids rushed into the room to see a gaping hole in the wall above the rat's hole, where Jake had hit it with his skateboard. Inside the wall, numerous items could be seen, many of them dusty and deteriorating with age. Henry pulled out a stuffed bear that Liz recognized as Nora's and Mike pulled out some long-lost underwear. Wrinkling her nose at it, she couldn't help but smile at the look on Mike's face as he held up his prized Spider-man briefs. Then Henry pulled out a folded, wrinkled old sheet with the words "Team Baker" painted across it in faded blue lettering. "Look," Kate said as she took it from Henry, "Our old team flag."

"From the year we lost to the Murtaughs by two points," Henry remembered, smiling at the worn piece of cloth.

"Yeah, because Mom fell in the sack race," Mark pointed out.

Kate laughed. "And Daddy carried me all the way home. Those were good memories." She stopped and looked around at all her children. "Dad wants to be a part of every single one of them, which is why he has such a hard time letting go. But you remember that no matter what Daddy says, whether he's in a good mood or a bad mood, you're his favorite team…"

Liz couldn't help but smile as she allowed the memories of her father come sweeping back. She could see on the faces of her siblings that the same thing was on each of their minds. "You know," she said softly, feeling their eyes turn to her, "I think, after all the time that Dad's put into us, we should return the favor. Let's go help him win that Cup."

Liz's words galvanized the family into action and they rushed to get dressed and jump in the cars to make it to the Labor Day Cup in time to compete. Both Charlie and Kate honked their horns to get Dad's attention as they clambered out of the vehicles and raced across the sand to greet him. Out of the corner of her eye, Liz saw Calvin standing with his family, watching her, but she pushed all thoughts of him out of her mind and allowed herself to be swept up in the Baker family group hug.

"Hey Murtaugh!" Tom Baker called across the beach, "This is our year!"

"Let's see what you've got, Baker!" Jimmy called back before turning to pay attention to Mike Romanow as he announced the beginning of the competition.

* * *

Liz remained distracted through the first couple of events. Try as she might, she couldn't keep her mind off Calvin. And seeing Rachel watching him from the other side of the beach didn't help salve her emotions, either. After the sack race, Calvin cornered her off to one side, while the archers set up for their competition. "Liz, look, I didn't have a choice in this. Dad set up this thing with Rachel Zimmerman, but that doesn't mean that –"

"Calvin," Liz interjected before he could continue, "You _did_ have a choice, and you chose to go along with what your father lined up for you. I don't hold that against you, but stop trying to explain it all away and make excuses for your behavior."

"That's not what I was going to say…" the words died on his lips as Liz shook her head and walked back to join her family and cheer for Nigel and Kyle, who'd won the archery contest.

* * *

Liz managed to evade him for a couple more events, but after Charlie lost to Anne in the egg race, she saw him slip past his father and make his way toward her. Rachel grasped his arm to stop him, but he shrugged her off and continued his path. Liz frowned and tried to duck into the crowd and lose him, but before she could do so, she felt his strong hand come down on her arm and pull her toward the trees. There was dangerous glint in his eyes and his mouth was set in a firm line. "Calvin, let me go," she demanded, struggling against his hold.

He stopped suddenly and pushed her into a tree, his hands closing on her shoulders, holding her there. "_No_," he said sternly. "Not until you hear me out." He glared at her until she stopped resisting. "Now I know that you don't want to believe me, but you have to, because I meant every word I said yesterday in the woods. My dad set this thing up with Rachel because she's rich and pretty and, for some reason, he refuses to see what kind of person she really is. I told the truth when I said that I didn't get a choice in this decision – Dad made it for me – but you never let me tell you that just because he didn't give me choice, doesn't mean I'm actually going to go along with it."

"That doesn't explain why you never told me about it, and why you took me up there to tell me all that stuff about why you loved me," she snapped.

"Do you want to know the real reason I went up there? Why I told you all of that? Why I admitted that I loved you?" he asked, his eyes angry.

* * *

_I love cliffies! Of course, this is the third of four chapters I'm posting basically at once, so it's not like you have to wait very long for the rest of Calvin's rampage. :)_


	12. TWELVE: The Whole Story

To recap:

"_Do you want to know the real reason I went up there? Why I told you all of that? Why I admitted that I loved you?" he asked, his eyes angry. _

**Chapter Twelve: The Whole Story**

Liz nodded timidly, feeling a little scared by this new, dangerously determined Calvin.

"Because I meant it. I went looking for you; I swam with Anne to the dock, threw rocks at your window, and even took a run down to the club to see if you were there. I didn't tell you about Rachel because I figured it wouldn't matter by the time I finished talking to you. She interfered before I was done." His eyes softened and his face suddenly lined with pain. "Liz, I _love_ you. I want to be with you, and not just for the rest of the summer. Forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's the real reason I went to talk to you yesterday. I want you to marry me, Liz Baker." He loosened his hold on her shoulders and stepped closer. "Forget Rachel, forget my father; I don't care what they do or think. It's _my_ life and I'll do with it what I choose. I'll elope if I have to, but I'm going to elope with you, if anybody, not Rachel Zimmerman." His eyes searched hers anxiously and he dropped to one knee, taking her hand in his. "Will you marry me, Liz?"

Feeling her lungs constrict, Liz found she couldn't say a thing. It felt as though her body had forgotten how to breathe properly. Wordlessly, she touched his face, searching his hazel eyes and feeling tears come to her own. Gently, she pulled him to his feet where, thanks to a slight unevenness in the ground, she stood eye to eye with him. "Do you really mean that?" she asked, aware that her knees were trembling harder than they'd ever trembled before.

"Liz, if I have to prove it to you by throwing you over my shoulder, tossing you in my car, and driving off to kidnap a pastor, I will."

A powerful emotion swept over her at that moment, a feeling of control and, surprisingly, of completion. Calvin was hers, no one else's. He had willing laid open his heart in front of her for her to break it or take it. Against all probability and in spite of her abominable treatment of him, he had chased her down, dragged her out here into the forest, and asked her to marry him, thus throwing his father's wishes – and most likely blessing – and Rachel's money out the door. She found her new feelings accompanied by an undercurrent of anger. Let Rachel just _try_ and get her slimy hands on Calvin. _My Calvin,_ Liz thought suddenly.

He had been watching her closely as all of this ran through her mind and he lifted his eyebrows in a questioning look. "Liz?"

Drawn back to the fact that he was standing right there, so close, Liz could no longer restrain herself. Reaching out, she touched him and allowed him to pull her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Calvin," she whispered against his shoulder, where she'd buried her face.

He pulled back slightly, cradling her face in his hands. "Is that a yes?" he asked, his eyes flashing an almost shy emotion. When she nodded, he smiled slightly before closing the gap between them and kissing her long and hard. When he released her, she sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him smile against her cheek. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring or anything with me right now. It's actually back at the house. But here," he broke away from her and plucked a late-blooming meadow blossom, deftly tied it in a circle, and slipped it on her ring finger. "This will do for now."

She smiled as she admired it, then looked up at him, feeling inexplicably shy. "We should, um, get back now. Before they miss us."

_Whew! Finally! I was starting to worry that it wouldn't come together. Liz just got too worked up when I wrote her lines over the last two chapters, but Calvin came through magnificently and conquered her in the end. And don't worry! This isn't the end! More coming soon! Please review! And don't forget my challenge from chapter ten! Little prizes for the others who review with feedback!_

_Love, Elena _


	13. THIRTEEN: Won and Lost

**Chapter Thirteen: Won and Lost**

Discreetly, Liz rejoined her family for the volleyball tournament, feeling as though she were floating on a cloud of euphoria. Even when they competed against the Murtaughs and she tried her hardest to beat them, she couldn't help but smile every time she thought of what had just happened. The little flower on her finger got damaged during the game, but she didn't care – it was the thought that counted.

Finally, her individual event – the freestyle – came up and she slipped into the water, sending a cocky wink in Daniel's direction as he joined her in the water with the other competitors. Instead of a lap system to measure the length, the judges had set up a line of buoys approximately fifty yards away that would mark the end of the race. Liz surveyed it intently. This was going to be hard without decent push-off or flip-around points. "Ready?" Mike called out. Immediately, the swimmers fitted their goggles and hunkered down in the water. "Get set!" Liz tensed for the gunshot. "GO!"

At the sound of the gunshot, Liz bent at the knees and jumped into a shallow surface dive, propelling her body forward with a halfway-decent takeoff. All sounds and sights were suddenly lost to her as she allowed herself to be wrapped up in the world of water. She heard only the slice of her arms through the waves and ragged gasps of her own breathing, felt only the liquid silk of the water against her legs, and saw only the sparkle of the sun on the splashes she flipped up with each stroke. Suddenly screams punctuated her watery silence, causing her to lift her head to look around. Surprised, she saw no buoys in front of her. Then, turning around, she saw them wobbling gently in the wake of the swimmers. Beside her, Daniel surfaced and shook the water from his face. She had placed first, while Daniel had come in only a hair's breadth behind her. The crowd erupted in screams and cheers as they applauded the swimmers. Treading water, Daniel turned to her and extended his hand for her to shake briefly. "Congratulations, Liz. You brought us even."

It took Liz a moment to figure out that he was referring to the scoreboard for the Cup. The Murtaughs and the Bakers had won four events each while the Millers had won three. They were tied for the Cup! The family rowboats paddled out to pick up their tired swimmers and Liz gratefully allowed Charlie and Bud to haul her out of the water. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Calvin and Anne pulling Daniel up, while beyond them, Braddock and Kelly heaved a disgruntled Rachel – who'd come in last – into their rowboat.

"Spectacular!" Mike cried into the mike as Liz accepted a towel and a kiss from her mother and began to rub herself dry. Sarah stood close by with her older sister's jean capris and sporty tank top readily on hand. "For the first time in twenty-six years, we have a tie for the Labor Day Cup! The Millers will take third place, and to decide the winner, the Bakers and the Murtaughs will have a canoe to the state forest end of the lake and back. Now, all family members must participate."

"Uh," Tom interrupted, "Mike, I got a daughter who's due in a week. She-she can't do that."

"I'm sorry Tom, you'll have to talk to Jimmy. Maybe you can work something out."

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like you'll have to forfeit, Tom," he said. Behind him, Liz could see Calvin frown and shake his head in disgust, while Anne's shoulders seemed to droop ever so slightly. Her own anger flared and she reflexively clenched her fists. How could he be so unfair? It wasn't like it would be all that hard to have Nora sit out while the rest of them competed. What difference would it make?

Tom nodded in defeat. "Look, she can't do it." Grudgingly, he extended his hand to Jimmy. "Congratulations Jimmy."

"Whoa, whoa," Nora suddenly interjected, breaking away from Bud to approach her father. "I'm goin' Dad," she said firmly. Turning toward Jimmy, she came up to him, smirked, and jabbed her finger into his chest. "You just pissed off a _severely_ hormonal pregnant woman." She spun to face the rest of her family. "Let's do this!" she cried, raising her fists above her head. Cheers broke out from the Baker clan as they ran to the dock to gather up their life jackets and oars. Liz smiled affectionately at her older sister and took her arm, pulling her aside.

"Are you sure about this, Nora?" she asked.

Nora gave her a hard look. "Don't mess with me right now, Lizzy."

Liz grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it." She fell back as her siblings filed in front of her, followed by the younger Murtaughs. Ahead of her, Charlie stopped beside Anne, both pretending to stretch while Anne shared some tactical information. Liz grinned. Allies against their fathers. This was going to be interesting. A light touch brushed the small of her back as Calvin slipped by her, trailing his fingers across her arm and giving her a sly wink. She felt the familiar swooping sensation in her stomach and quickly followed after him to pick up her own life vest and oar. Once she situated herself in the canoe in front of Nora and next to Charlie, she dipped her oar in the water, watching the droplets slide off the polished surface.

"Ready?" Mike called.

"MURTAUGH!" Liz glanced over to see the whole Murtaugh family sitting stick-straight with their oars poised in front of them.

"Get set!"

"MURTAUGH!" As one, the Murtaughs brought their oars into the water and glanced at the Bakers, who were staring at them in astonishment.

"Go!" Mike screamed, firing the gun at the same moment.

As one, both canoes began to move and Liz threw all her weight into each stroke. As they raced across the lake, both canoes stayed within one length of each other until slowly, inexorably, the Bakers began to pull closer and finally, ahead. It was at that precise moment that Liz felt water trickle over her toes. "I think we're taking on water!" Bud announced.

Behind her, in a quiet, shaky voice, Liz heard Nora say, "It's me."

She whipped around as Bud paled. "Nora's having her baby!" she cried at the same time that he did. Instantly, chaos reigned and the Baker children screamed in panic. What were they going to do? They were in the middle of a lake!

Tom stood and waved his oar. "Jimmy! Jimmy!"

Several of the Murtaughs looked behind them and pulled in their oars, but Jimmy did not stop. Instead, he pushed them to row harder.

"I don't believe it!" her father muttered in astonishment.

"Dad!" Mark called from the prow of the canoe. "If we cut through here, the road's not too far! Maybe we can get her to the hospital in time!"

"Can you get us there?" Tom asked frantically.

"Hello-o, Nature Boy, remember?" Mark retorted in an obvious "duh!" tone.

"Alright kids!" Tom addressed his family, "For the shore! Hurry!"

As she paddled furiously for the shore, Liz chanced a last glance at the Murtaugh's canoe, shrinking as it rowed away from them. _Come on, Jimmy!_ she pleaded inwardly, _Just this one time, would it hurt you to think to help?_ But the canoe continued to paddle away until it disappeared around the other side of an island. Shaking her head, she focused on helping bring the canoe to the shore.

Once they reached the shore, Bud and Kate helped get Nora out of the canoe while Charlie steadied his mother and Liz herded her siblings back away from the edge of the lake. She helped them slip their life jackets off and toss them in a heap by the rocks before sinking down on the rock beside her twin. As Kate talked to Nora, attempting to keep her calm, Liz sagged against Charlie's shoulder. Suddenly she jumped in surprise as a hand came down on hers and Charlie's shoulders. They spun in unison to see Anne standing behind them, dripping wet and breathing hard. "What's happening?" she asked, "Is she all right?"

"She's delivering lakeside, but yeah, she's fine," Charlie replied through his surprise. "Did-did you swim all the way over here?"

Anne could only nod. "How can I help?" she managed to get out after a few deep breaths.

"Oh, honey," Kate said, noticing her presence for the first time. "You can help with Nora."

"Hey, Baker!" Jimmy hailed from his canoe, while all of his children climbed wearily from the water, "What's going on?"

Liz stood and caught Calvin's hand as he worked his way toward her over the rocks. He smiled gratefully at her and moved close enough to slide his hands around her waist. "What happened?" Liz asked, glancing over the thoroughly wet Murtaugh children.

"There was a little family mutiny," he admitted. "We all jumped ship, but I guess Sarina brought Dad around, 'cause he's here, too."

Liz grinned and met his eyes shyly. "It's about time."

"Come on!" Mark cried, tearing off into the woods with Kenny, followed closely by Eliot, Sarah, the youngest twins, and the rest of both families.

Charlie and Bud carried Nora while, with a quick glance at each other, Liz and Calvin slipped in front of them and hurried the lagging kids along. At one point, just before they reached the road, Calvin scooped up a lagging Robin and carried her for a few hundred feet before they caught sight of the road. Once on the flat, hard surface, many of the younger kids broke into a full-out run, while Liz, Calvin, Daniel, Lorraine, and Anne increased their pace to an easy jog. Soon enough, the hospital came into view and both families swarmed into the building. In the enclosed space, the noise reached an almost unbearable level, and Liz felt her head swimming from the echoes and the speed that events were taking place. _The baby wasn't supposed to come for another week!_ was the onlythought she could get through her head.

Finally, things were sorted out; Nora got a wheelchair – much to Charlie and Bud's relief – Lorraine and Kate went into the delivery room to help out, and the rest of the family retired to the waiting room to wait. Much to her pleasure, the Murtaughs also decided to wait with them.

* * *

_Yeah, I know, not the smoothest, best chapter, but I have to get through this to get to the rest of the story. It may be a little while before I update again. (Then again, maybe not. I never know when I'll find the time.) Review Please!_


	14. FOURTEEN: Waiting and Announcements

**Chapter Fourteen: Waiting and Announcements**

Liz settled herself in a seat by the door and flipped absently through a magazine, her mind focused on the whirlwind of events that had taken place that day. Most of all, Calvin… All thought trailed off as she glanced across at him and found him looking back at her. He gave her his customary small smile and there was a loving twinkle in his eyes that she'd never noticed before. Movement from him drew her attention sharply back to the fact that he was getting up and slipping around the corner to the hallway. He peered briefly around the corner to motion for her to join him.

Taking care to avoid drawing attention, Liz stood slowly and replaced her magazine as though finished with it, then meandered slowly over to where Calvin waited. As soon as she rounded the corner, he caught her arm and pulled her close. "Are you ready to tell them?" he asked, clearly meaning their families. "It's not going to be easy, and I know my dad will object, at least at first, but he'll come around. He has to, if he wants to keep me as a son." He stopped and looked tenderly into Liz's nervous face. "But we don't have to do it right now. If we're going to do this, I want you to be ready to face it, too. I won't put you under my dad's displeasure if you're not ready for it."

Liz shook her head and touched his cheek. "Calvin, I've been subjected to your dad's displeasure for years now, remember? I'm as ready as you are."

He gave her another small smile and took her hand in his. "Alright," he murmured heavily, "Let's do this." Taking a deep breath, he led her back into the waiting room at the same time that Charlie and Anne stepped up to their parents.

Tom looked up at them from his conversation with Jimmy. "You two look like you have something to say," he observed dryly.

Somewhat confused and more than a little intrigued, Calvin and Liz allowed their hands to unclasp and fall to their sides, watching their siblings intently.

"I'm done with the city, Dad," Charlie said firmly and decisively. "I'm going to open up my own garage and I'm moving up here this fall." Liz felt a rush of pride for her twin's choice and sincerely hoped that her father would not object.

"And I want to audit classes at Madison," Anne quickly put in.

Jimmy nodded, then did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"Dad, I want to be an artist."

Jimmy looked as though he didn't like this bit of news at all. "Well now, I don't think –"

"Dude, dude, dude," Tom suddenly interrupted, staring pointedly at Jimmy and coming unexpectedly to Anne's rescue.

"Jimmy," Sarina said gently from her seat against the wall with Lisa and Robin. When he looked at her, she glanced pointedly and meaningfully in Anne's direction.

"Although," Jimmy said forcing a smile as he turned back to his daughter, "it does sound… pretty exciting…" Anne looked at him for a moment, uncertainty shining in her eyes, before moving to sit beside her father. He turned to face her as she sat. "Anne, are you _sure_ that this is what you want?"

"I'm sure," she replied without hesitation.

Jimmy swallowed. "You know, Annie, I was just trying to be a good father."

A smile softened Anne's determined features. "I know," she murmured, placing her arms around her father's neck and hugging him as Charlie sat down across from Tom.

Tom turned to face him. "Sounds like you have your mind made up," he said pointedly.

Without hesitation, Charlie nodded. "I do. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," Tom said thoughtfully, "I guess I am."

Jimmy released Anne and turned back to Tom. "So, apparently it's a good thing that my daughter's decided to throw away her Harvard education to become an artist? I suppose next you'll say that Calvin is going to throw Yale out the window and become a professional ballet dancer?"

At the mention of his name, Liz felt Calvin tense beside her. Discreetly, she laid a calming hand on his arm.

"So, Calvin." Liz felt her fiancé jump as Jimmy suddenly directly addressed him. "Are you going to go into ballet?" He turned and surveyed the rest of his children critically. "Does anyone else have hidden dreams or aspirations that they want to tell me about?"

"Dad," Calvin said placatingly, stepping forward, "there's something I have to tell you."

Jimmy look of amusement changed to one of alarm. "You're not _actually_ going to do ballet are you?"

His son smiled faintly. "No, Dad, I'm not going into ballet. I enjoy particle physics and I'll make a career out of it, don't worry. It's about my wedding."

Jimmy suddenly looked very pleased. "Ah, so she said yes, did she? Did it all formal and gentlemanly, have you? Good, good. We'll talk over details at home, Son. Let's not make a big deal out of it in front of everyone, it's not polite. Especially in the company of other, not-so-privileged young women."

Calvin immediately knew that now was not the time to break the news about his engagement to Liz, since his father assumed he'd officially proposed to Rachel. Meekly, he ducked his head. "Of course, Dad." Liz glanced sharply at him, but he only gave her a warning glance and brushed her shoulder soothingly. "We'll talk to him later," he whispered almost inaudibly as he pretended to sidle past her, "I don't want to make a huge scene here in the hospital. It'll be bad enough in private."

While Jimmy completely missed the exchange, Charlie and Daniel did not. Together, Liz and Calvin settled into the sofa between the two. Charlie leaned over and surveyed Liz's left hand. "Hmm," he intoned quietly, taking her hand and brushing over the flower ring with his thumb. "What's this?"

Daniel leaned to see past his older brother with a snide grin on his face. "Looks like Liz is engaged…" He glanced seriously at Calvin. "Good luck telling Dad that he's thinking of the wrong girl. He was all set to have you marry Rachel Zimmerman." In a typically teenage move, he shuddered. "I think you've made a better choice with this one, Cal."

Liz allowed herself a small grin, despite her fluttering nerves. "I'm glad I have your approval, Daniel," she said in a forcibly light tone.

"Excuse me, Tom?" Bud's voice drew the attention of everyone in the room. "D'you want to meet your grandson?"

Liz felt herself freeze in anticipation. Tom looked surprised, but recovered his dignity quickly. "Of course." He got up and followed Bud to the delivery room, followed by the rest of the Baker family.

When they entered the room and saw Nora sitting up against the bed cradling a tiny newborn, Liz felt her heart jump to her throat and she instinctively slid her arm through Charlie's.

"You did agood job, honey," Kate told Nora from her place beside the bed as Bud sat down behind his wife. "Real good."

"That's a big boy," Jessica said with a grin. "Too bad he wasn't here to help us win the Cup."

Liz smiled at that and laid a hand on her little sister's shoulder, pulling her back to lean against her side. She noticed the Murtaughs filing quietly in and felt Calvin come to stand behind her.

"Have you thought of any names, yet?" Tom asked, admiring his grandson.

Nora glanced at Bud. "I think we're going to go with Tom," she said quietly, looking directly at her father as tears sprang to his eyes. "Because you taught us that there's no way to be a perfect parent, but a million ways to be a really good one." She looked down at the baby in her arms, then back up at her father. "And you're about as good as they get."

Liz glanced at her parents and saw that both of them had tears in their eyes. Both were deeply touched by this unexpected choice of Nora's. Nora smiled at them before looking down at her baby boy. "Go and see Grandpa," she cooed gently. "Go on." Tenderly, she passed baby Tom to Lorraine, who cuddled him briefly, clearly reveling in her new position as godmother of Nora's child. Then she relinquished him to Kate's waiting arms as she and Tom both held the sleepy infant.

"Tom," her dad murmured to the baby in a voice Liz hadn't heard since Kyle and Nigel were babies, "Hey Tom. Welcome to the family," he finished, choking up on the last word.

* * *

_Sorry, there's a lot of movie-verse in this chapter, but it kind of had to be that way. My computer spazzed out again for a couple of days, so I got a lot of writing done. Here goes about three more chapters, all at once. Don't forget to review:)_


	15. FIFTEEN: Announcement Part I

**Chapter Fifteen: Announcement Part I**

It was late in the evening when Liz climbed tiredly out of Charlie's car and followed him up the steps to the big lake house. They'd been at the hospital all afternoon, waiting for the delivery and then stayed well past dinner-time cooing over Baby Tom and taking turns getting to hold him. Now, the family had come home, leaving Bud and Nora in the hospital to be released the next morning. Liz was about to make her way down the hall and to her bed when she heard a knock at the door.

Curious, Jake ran to answer the door, then stepped back abruptly as Calvin stepped into the room. Kate and Tom both looked up from their occupation with herding the younger children into bed. Calvin's eyes flicked nervously to Liz before he nodded respectfully to her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Baker, can I speak to you alone for a moment?"

All activity immediately halted. Sarah froze in the act of giving Gunner a treat – the dog, losing patience, snapped it out of her motionless hand – while Henry laid his half-put-together clarinet back onto its case. Jake, Mark and Mike all turned to face Calvin, while Lorraine even peeked out of the bathroom, where she'd been just about to shut the door. Charlie leaned back in the sofa with a keenly interested expression, his eyes moving between Liz, Calvin, and his parents in a continuous cycle. Stunned, Tom and Kate said nothing for a few long minutes before Kate suddenly recovered herself and turned into the gracious hostess. "Of course…?"

"Calvin," he supplied, smiling slightly.

"Calvin," she amended. "If you'll just give us a few minutes to get everyone in bed, we'll be right out." As she turned to gather Mike, Mark, Nigel, and Kyle, she addressed Liz. "Liz, honey, will you take Calvin into the kitchen and get him something to drink?"

"Sure, Mom," Liz said, standing and ushering Calvin into the kitchen, where she went to the fridge and pulled out two cans of cream soda. Charlie followed them into the kitchen and pulled out a tall glass of orange julius before settling himself on a stool beside Calvin. They drank in silence for several minutes until Kate and Tom came back into the kitchen. At a glance from them, Liz and Charlie got up and went into the hallway, stopping just outside the door to listen.

"Well," they heard Calvin say, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I guess you're wondering why I'm here."

"The thought did cross our minds," Kate replied, sounding slightly amused.

"Well, you see, it's about your daughter…"

"Which one?" Tom asked, a little sharply. Liz sucked in her breath. She knew her mom would not object to Calvin, but her dad just might.

"Liz," Calvin said firmly, and Liz could hear the determination in his voice. "I've come to ask permission to marry her."

Her father must have been taking a drink, because she heard him choke and spit something out. "What? But-but I thought your father said you're engaged to someone else," he said, apparently confused. "He didn't want to talk about it in front of us and, if I remember correctly, specifically not in front of Liz."

"Dad was…mistaken," Calvin replied, sounding a little less certain. "He has arranged someone he wants me to marry and he assumed that that's who I meant. It just so happens that the girl I love is not the girl he wants me to marry."

"Jimmy objects to Lizzie?" Tom asked sharply. "Why? What's wrong with my daughter?"

"Nothing, sir, nothing," Calvin said, sounding strained. "My dad doesn't object to Liz. He just doesn't know about my feelings for her, yet."

"And just what are your feelings for my daughter?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"Tom…" Kate began before trailing away, probably at a sign from her husband.

Calvin hesitated for a moment, trying to choose the right words. "Mr. Baker, I love your daughter with every fiber of my being. I want nothing more than to give her a good life and make her happy."

"But can you?" Tom pressed. "What about the first few years? How will you provide for her? How will you go about making her happy?"

Sensing that now was the time to intervene, Liz took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. "Dad," she said, causing both her parents to turn to look at her, "I _want_ to marry Calvin. It doesn't matter how he provides for me at first. You and Mom had a rough start, too, remember? Don't you think it's up to me to decide what makes me happy? I'm twenty years old, Dad, not a child anymore and I can take care of myself. You have to let me go." She concluded her little speech, glancing nervously between her parents.

"But –" Tom began.

"Honey," Kate interrupted, laying a hand on her husband's arm, "she's right. It's time to let go and let them take their own future into their own hands."

Tom looked as though he might object further, but he finally sighed and said, "Very well. If that's what you both want, then you have my blessing."

Calvin grinned broadly as Liz crossed the kitchen and came into his arms, hugging him fiercely. He hugged her back before remembering something. "Hold on," he said, pulling away from her. As she watched curiously, he fished a little black box out of his pocket. Ceremoniously, he lowered himself to one knee and smoothly opened it to reveal a sparkling princess-cut diamond on a platinum band. Simple, but beautiful. Liz felt tears come to her eyes as he regained his feet and removed the ring, sliding it easily onto her left ring finger after pulling off the tattered remains of his woodland-flower-ring. Impulsively, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, not caring that her parents and her twin brother were in the room.

* * *

_And there's the actual ring. Next chapter: telling Jimmy... dun dun dun! Actually, it turns out not that bad. Okay, I'll let you go to the next chapter... don't forget to review on your way through!_


	16. SIXTEEN: Announcement Part II

**Chapter Sixteen: Announcement Part II**

"Now we just have to break it to my dad," Calvin said dryly as he polished off the last of his drink. He had remained at the Bakers' for a while longer, getting to know Liz's parents a little better. Despite his harsh, suspicious questions at first, Liz could tell that her father was warming up to Calvin and had even begun to like him.

"I think you should probably get it over with tonight," Charlie commented from his seat on Liz's other side. "It'll be easier to argue with him if he's tired."

Liz sent him a sharp look. "And you would know this why…?"

Charlie grinned. "Anne told me never to pick an argument with her father in the morning, because he can get all fired up and plow on for hours and hours."

Despite himself, Calvin laughed. "You've got that right," he agreed through laughs. Then he sobered and focused his attention on Liz. "Are you ready tonight?"

She fiddled with her glass for a moment before looking up. "Yeah, let's just get this out of the way." She pushed back away from the counter and stood to follow Calvin as he made his way out to the black SUV he'd driven over.

"Good luck," Charlie called after his twin.

"We won't wait up, honey," Kate assured her daughter as she pointedly guided her husband towards the stairs. "Good luck."

* * *

For Liz, the trip to the Boulders was all too short, but she felt comforted by Calvin's presence. When they pulled up outside the cottage, he got out and opened her passenger-side door, taking her hand in his and leading her up the steps. Most of the house was dark and quiet, a sign that the rest of his siblings were already asleep. A flickering source of light led them to the back deck, where Jimmy and Sarina sat out on a couple of lounges, stargazing. Calvin took one look at Liz, breathed deeply and squeezed her hand reassuringly before pulling the back door open and joining his parents out on the deck.

"Dad," he said firmly, "We need to talk."

Jimmy jumped a little at Calvin's voice, but swung to face him. "Ah, yes, about the wedding. You're not nervous, are you? You already did the hard part, but I always knew that Rachel would say yes."

"Dad, that's what we need to talk about," Calvin put in hastily. "Rachel never said yes, because I didn't ask her. I'm marrying Liz Baker." On cue, Liz, who had followed discreetly in his shadow, now came forward to where she could be seen in the flickering candlelight of the tiki torches.

"Wha-?" Jimmy asked in confusion, glancing between them. "You mean you asked…? But _why_? I had a bride all picked out for you, Calvin, one who would be advantageous to your position and help provide for you until you finish your schooling… why did you choose another one?"

"Dad, I know you were thinking about what's best for me, but the method you chose to use is _so_ last century. _Liz_ is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, not Rachel." When his father looked about to raise more objections, Calvin's face set in stone. "I'm not going to change my mind, Dad. I'll elope if you force me to that, but I'd rather marry with your blessing."

Jimmy stared at his son as though seeing him for the first time. He apparently could find nothing to say in light of his son's newfound streak of independence. Sarina, however, stood and embraced Liz. "Calvin?" she asked her stepson, "Do you mind if I steal Liz off for a few minutes?"

His eyes flickering in uncertainty, he nodded, reluctantly releasing his hold on her hand. Liz followed Sarina back into the house, where the older woman turned to face her. "You know, I don't think I can ever say in front of my husband how glad I am that Calvin chose you instead of the Zimmerman girl." Surprised, Liz could not prevent a smile from crossing her face. "Jimmy's never understood that his children may not want what he has in store for them and it annoys him when they alter the plan. His attention to making everything run perfectly has made Murtaugh Enterprises so successful, but he can't see that his children can't be treated the same way." Sarina smiled a little more. "I hope you and Calvin are happy. And don't worry what Jimmy says. He'll come around in time."

Feeling happier than she had since she and Calvin had decided to tell their families, Liz allowed Sarina to hug her a second time before both women rejoined Jimmy and Calvin outside.

* * *

_Yay for Sarina. I liked her again in this chapter. And don't worry, Jimmy comes around soon enough. Review please!_


	17. SEVENTEEN: Accepted

_Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! I've been on vacation and at youth camps and stuff the whole month, with no access to a computer, so everything kind of got put on hold. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Chapter Seventeen: Accepted**

Instead of taking the car all the way around back to the Bakers' lake house, Calvin pulled out the boat and took Liz home in that. He left her on the dock with a hug and a kiss goodnight before turning the boat around and heading back to the Boulders. Liz sighed happily as she watched him leave before turning to the house and going inside.

* * *

Early the next morning, Liz was awakened by Sarah pouncing on her bed and yanking on her hand. "Why didn't you tell me?" she shrieked, pulling Liz's left hand out so that the ring sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the window.

"Sarah," Liz groaned, pulling her hand free and rolling over. "It was a late night, let me sleep, _please_."

"Is that when he asked you?" Sarah pressed.

"No, he asked me during the Labor Day Cup. We told our parents last night, which took awhile. Come on, Sarah, let me sleep."

"Fine," she grumped, and Liz could hear her footsteps across the wood floor as she left the room.

* * *

When Liz finally awoke again, it was to the click of small pellets against her window. Rolling out of bed, she crossed to the window and looked down to see Calvin tossing rocks. When he saw her, he motioned for her to come down. Dressing hurriedly, she ran outside and found him behind a large tree, which shielded him from the view of the Boulders. He caught her and pulled her close.

"Rachel's at my place, looking for me," he explained quickly, "I had to sneak away before she saw, and I didn't want her to be able to see me over here from the Boulders."

"But what about your dad –" Liz was cut off by the slamming of car doors and Braddock's voice calling her name. Groaning quietly, she laid her head against Calvin's chest. "_Now_ what does he want?"

Calvin's arms went around her waist and he pulled her toward the lake. "Let's head back to my place. I'd rather deal with Rachel than Braddock right now." He led her to the canoe he had used to cross the lake and helped her settle into it, taking up his oar as she did. "By the way, I haven't talked to my dad since last night, so I don't know how he's taking it, but I guess we'll find out together, won't we?"

Liz smiled dryly, before wordlessly setting her mind to controlling the motion of her paddle as they cut across the lake.

When they reached the Murtaugh's dock, Calvin tied the canoe to the pier and helped Liz out, leading her up the back steps to the house. As they pulled open the elegant French doors, they could hear the unmistakable simper of Rachel Zimmerman and, much to their surprise, Jimmy's raised voice.

"What makes you think you can waltz into my home without invitation?" Jimmy asked sharply. "The last thing I want to see in the morning is some stranger helping herself to my kitchen."

"B-but," Rachel stammered, the fear evident in her voice, "I'm your future daughter-in-law! Calvin proposed to me yesterday! I didn't think you would mind, Mr. Murtaugh."

Calvin inhaled sharply. The one thing his father truly hated was being lied to. "He proposed to you?" Jimmy asked softly, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Rachel apparently did not notice the change and plowed on. "Yes, of course he did. Why wouldn't he? It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"You are _not_ the lovely young lady Calvin brought to me last night to present as his fiancée," Jimmyrespondedcoolly,"As I recall, she was not so brazen as to enter my house alone. And if you are that young woman, which I know you are not, then where is my son? Surely he would not hesitate to spend as much time as possible with his bride-to-be."

Deciding that they'd listened in long enough, Calvin stepped into the room, motioning for Liz to wait. "I'm right here, Dad."

Rachel, whose jaw had dropped in fear and astonishment at Jimmy's words, let out a small gasp and rushed over to him. "There you are, darling," she cooed, latching onto his arm. "I was looking for you when your father stopped me. Where have you been?"

Liz took her cue and stepped in, hands on her hips, her brown eyes boring icily into Rachel's. "With me. Calvin was with me."

Rachel's surprise morphed into anger in a second, but before she could say a word, Jimmy – in a gesture that took Liz completely by surprise – crossed the room to take her hands and kiss her forehead. "Well, _here_ is my lovely daughter-to-be," he said with an exaggerated show of affection for Rachel's benefit, "You're looking wonderful this morning."

"Thank you, Mr. Murtaugh," Liz replied, still a little dazed by this sudden change in Jimmy's attitude towards her.

Calvin, meanwhile, removed Rachel's hands from his arm. "Allow me to show you the door," he said pointedly, leading her outside. "And do me the favor of not calling here again," he added as he closed the door firmly in her face. He went back to the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. "Well, she's gone," he sighed.

Jimmy nodded and turned serious. Focusing his attention on Liz, he said, "I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. Sarina told me that she preferred you to Rachel Zimmerman and this morning confirmed my own doubts about her suitability." Turning to take in his son as well, Jimmy then added, "You both have my sincere blessing and I wish you a long happy life together."

Forgetting all her nervousness and reservations, Liz threw her arms around Jimmy's neck and kissed his cheek. In good humor, he pushed her away. "Now, now, don't waste your affection on me," he said with a wry smile, "I have a son here who's looking a little jealous."

More than willing to comply, Liz allowed Jimmy to gently push her into Calvin's waiting arms. Her fiancé spun her around several times before setting her down and kissing her soundly.

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ Yay! It's happy! I think there might be a couple chapters left, but we're almost done. Thanks to everybody who reviewed so faithfully! Keep it coming!_


	18. EIGHTEEN: Lorraine's Break Down

**Chapter Eighteen: Lorraine's Break Down**

"What are you doing, Lorraine?" Liz asked later that day as she walked into the room she had been sharing with Lorraine and Sarah. Lorraine stood moodily in front of her closet, glaring at her wardrobe. Piled around her were several articles of apparently discarded clothing. Despite her curiosity, Liz's mind was still on the pleasant morning she'd spent at the beach with Calvin.

"I don't know what to do!" Lorraine suddenly cried, whirling around and hurling a jean skirt on the floor. She crossed to the umbrella chair in the corner and sank into it, burying her face in her hands.

Concern flared in Liz's mind, driving away her thoughts of Calvin. "Lorraine?" she said, crossing the room and crouching in front of her sister. "What's going on?" Cautiously, she laid a hand on Lorraine's knee.

At her touch, Lorraine jumped a little. Her big watery brown eyes hesitantly met those of her older sister. "It's nothing. I'm just being stupid," she muttered, looking balefully across the room at her clothes.

Liz followed her gaze. "Isn't it a little early to be weeding out your clothes, Lori? Don't you want to wait until you get home?" she asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"No, it's not that," Lorraine said, leaning back. "It's just that he… he said he didn't like the trendy supermodel-type girls…" she shook her head. "Don't know why I even care. It's _so_ not me."

"Who said that?" Liz asked. "If Braddock said it, you can ignore him. He's not worth the effort of paying attention to him."

"It wasn't Braddock…" Lorraine said trailing off. Her gaze shifted back to Liz. "How do you do it?" she suddenly asked. "You make it look so easy, with Calvin and all. How do you get him to pay attention to you? They-they don't even glance at me…"

Understanding suddenly blossomed. "You're talking about Daniel, aren't you?" Liz said gently. "It's _his_ attention you want."

"I told you I was being stupid!" Lorraine burst out, tears forming in her eyes. "It's pointless. I'm so not his type. So why do I care so much what he thinks about me?"

Liz regarded her sister silently for a moment. This was not the confident, composed, soon-to-be _Allure_ model she knew. Eighteen-year-old Lorraine was crumbling before her eyes and in her place, Liz could see the fourteen-year-old, first-crush-Lorraine that had been skipped over in her younger sister's quest for fashion perfection.

Realizing that her younger sister was at a fragile breaking point, Liz thought her words out carefully before saying them. "Lori, it's okay that you like Daniel. It's called a crush." She smiled faintly at Lorraine's withering look. "It's not stupid to care what he thinks, but if you think that you have to change yourself to make him like you, he's not worth it. And yes, I'm saying this about my future brother-in-law." Gently, Liz took one of Lorraine's hands. "Just be yourself, Lori. Be your normal, outgoing, confident self, and maybe he'll realize that it's more than just the outward appearance that counts. You can prove to him that the trendy girls are cool, too."

Lorraine thought over Liz's words for a few minutes before sending her older sister a watery smile. "I'll try, Lizzie. For you, I'll try."

Liz said nothing in response, choosing to pull her sister into a hug instead.

"Well, this is something you don't see everyday," Charlie commented, coming into the room and tapping on the doorframe to get their attention.

Liz released Lorraine and turned around. "Hey, Charles, how about knocking _before_ you come in?" she chided affectionately.

Charlie shrugged carelessly and seated himself on Liz's bed, surveying them both keenly. "So, what's up?"

At a glance from Lorraine, Liz refrained from mentioning anything about Daniel. "Girl talk, Charlie. You wouldn't understand."

"Ah." He then focused his attention on his twin. "So, how'd it go with Jimmy this morning? I saw you and Calvin go over there in the canoe."

Feeling a warm rush of contentment flood over her at the thought of Jimmy's approval, Liz could not restrain a grin. "Better."

Both Lorraine and Charlie leaned forward. "How good is 'better'?" Charlie asked.

Maintaining a mysterious smile, Liz only said, "Better."

* * *

"You know, that wasn't funny," Charlie commented as he caught up with Liz several minutes later. She was going for a quick jog up to the pavilion to meet Calvin, Anne, and Daniel. "How did it really go over there with Jimmy?" 

Liz gave him a wicked smile. "I told you it was better. Now what do you think that means?"

Charlie sent her an exasperated glare. "Don't tell me he gave you his blessing?"

Liz only nodded before putting on an extra burst of speed and bursting out of the undergrowth into the clearing of the pavilion. To her astonishment, she found not Calvin, Anne, and Daniel, but Sarah and Eliot. Kissing. At the sound of her approach, however, the two of them broke apart and each blushed a flaming red. Struggling to contain her laughter at their embarrassment, Liz managed to say, "Sorry. I'll come back later." Turning around, she headed back the way she'd come, running smack into Charlie.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked indignantly.

She only put her hands on his shoulders and steered him back the way they'd come. "Just turn around, Charlie. We can't barge in on Sarah and Eliot."

* * *

**Author's Note:**_Don't forget to review! Thanks to everybody who's sent good reviews. Don't forget constructive criticism, if you have it. Any flamers will be laughed at. Next chapter coming soon! There's going to be one more confrontation between the Bakers/Murtaughs and the Zimmermans, so be ready! The end is coming fast! Happy Summer everybody!_

_Elena_


	19. NINETEEN: Surprise Party

**Chapter Nineteen: Surprise Party**

"You're _what_?" Jessica and Kim squealed in delight.

The whole Baker family – excluding Bud and Nora, who were in the hospital until tomorrow – was seated around the table, eating dinner. Tom Baker had just announced that he and Jimmy had collaborated to borrow the Lodge and throw an engagement party for Calvin and Liz. Naturally, such an announcement brought a whirlwind of comments.

"A party! Yay!" Nigel cried. "Will there be presents?"

"Do we have to dress up?" Jake wondered aloud.

"Will there be good food?" Henry asked.

"Who's in charge of decorating? And what about the invitations?" Lorraine demanded.

"I don't want to dress up!" Kyle protested.

"Can I take my skateboard?" Mike piped up.

"Guys, guys!" Kate interjected, trying not to smile, "Listen to your father."

Tom made sure he had the attention of all his children before starting. "Okay, to answer some of your questions. Lorraine, this isn't going to be a huge affair. We're just inviting the other members of the club, and it's a pretty casual and relaxed event. It's actually going to be a lot like the social event we had a couple of weeks ago, _without the fighting,_" he emphasized sternly. "The adults and kids will all be together this time, but we'll have another dance, I suppose. Jake, we do have to dress up a little. No tuxedos or anything, but at least a nice collared shirt and slacks. Girls, I want you at least in skirts and a nice shirt. No skateboards, fireworks, or any other item that can cause mayhem. This is your sister's party, so try to be well-behaved, okay?" Liz blushed a little at that. "It's set for tomorrow night, okay? I know that's not a lot of time, but we're going home in three days…" A chorus of groans greeted this announcement. "…and we wanted to have it as soon as possible," Tom finished. He looked around the table. "Any objections or questions?"

"Nope," Charlie put in, "Sounds good to me." The rest of the family nodded their agreement, accompanied by a few quiet grumblings from Jake, Mike, and Mark about the taboo on chaos-causers.

* * *

The next evening, after spending the day on the lake with the Murtaughs, the big lake house was engulfed in a flurry of activity as the whole Baker clan rushed to get ready for the party. Nora and Bud, with little Tom Jr., had come home earlier that morning and now assisted in getting the younger children ready while Tom and Kate wrapped their engagement gift.

Charlie walked down the hall to Liz's room, smiling slightly as Bud brushed past him, trying to chase down a half-dressed Nigel. He knocked lightly on the door.

From inside the room, he heard Liz's muffled, "Come in," and entered discreetly. Before him, surveying herself in the mirror, stood his twin sister, dressed in a sheer-flare-sleeved ivory halter gown that came down to just above her knees, the sheer overlay flaring in the barest ruffle around the bottom. A silver-beaded band accented the empire waist and a scalloped silver fan of material graced the neckline of the dress. Her dark brown hair was pulled up off her neck in a smooth, flowing twist, and shimmering zirconium pins fastened it in place. All in all, she looked stunning. At his entrance, she turned.

"Hey, Liz," Charlie said, coming into the room and putting his arms around her. He lightly kissed her cheek. "You look fabulous. Calvin's jaw is going to hit the floor."

"Oh stop," Liz chided gently, pushing him away. "Don't go flattering me just to help me loosen up."

Charlie grinned and sat down on the bed behind her, where she could still see him in the mirror. "Is it working?"

She smiled reluctantly. "A little."

Charlie himself was dressed in a dark silver dress shirt with the top two buttons undone –allowing a pale purple tee shirt to peek out – and the sleeves rolled up. He had on black dress pants and dressy oxford shoes. He left his hair just as it always was – un-gelled and looking barely side swept. After surveying him keenly, Liz walked over to him. "I like this," she said, pointing to the purple and silver combination at his neck. "It looks good. And…" she added, trailing off as she ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it a little. "There," she sighed, "That looks better."

Charlie chuckled. "Thanks, '_Mom_.'" He turned and offered his arm. "Well, if you're ready, let's be going. This'll probably be the last time I get to escort you anywhere before I turn you over to Calvin, so, may I do the honors?"

Liz laughed and took his arm. Then, feigning sincerity, she said, "Why thank you, good sir. I'd be delighted."

Charlie laughed along with her as he led her down the hall, where they met before the door by their parents. "Liz, Charlie," Kate said as they stopped in front of her. "You both look wonderful." Quickly, she hugged each of them and then turned her attention to the house at large. "Kids!" she called. "It's time to go! Into the cars!"

Bud and Nora, in a white shirt and tie and a pale pink summer dress, respectively, came down the stairs carrying Tom Jr. wrapped in a light blue blanket. Behind them, Tom, in a nice suit, came down. From their respective rooms, the rest of the Baker clan piled into the cars – Sarah, in dress pants and a lightweight blouse; Jake, looking snazzy in khaki slacks and a green polo; Kim and Jessica, in matching yellow sundresses; Kyle, Nigel, Mark, and Mike in white dress shirts and dark pants; Henry, wearing a white shirt and a blue button-up and his customary cap; and Lorraine, dressed up in a surprisingly conservative light blue dress and light, unobtrusive makeup.

As Lorraine passed Liz, she pulled her older sister aside. "I wanted to try something different," she explained in a whisper. "I'll talk to you later about it." Liz only nodded and allowed Charlie to lead her and Lorraine to the car.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Reviews please! The party is next chapter and there's a little confrontation again... :) Enjoy it!_


	20. TWENTY: Engagement Party

**Chapter Twenty: Engagement Party**

When they pulled up, the Murtaughs were already there. Charlie, still playing the escort, got out and opened the door for her before taking her arm – with Lorraine on the other side – and leading her through the door. Jimmy, who had been standing at the door immediately caught Liz. "No one has seen you or Calvin yet, and I want to present you both at the same time." He ushered her into a side room to wait until Calvin arrived.

Too impatient to sit down, Liz stood at the window, looking at the guests arriving. To her dismay, she saw Braddock and Rachel come to the door, accompanied by their two other siblings and two stuffy-looking adults that could only be their parents. Then, a voice reached her ears that she now recognized better than her own: Calvin's. "Dad, I'm here. Where's Liz?"

"Through there," came Jimmy's reply.

Half a second later, the door swung open, admitting Calvin – dressed in a full tuxedo for the occasion. He stopped short as Liz turned to face him, his eyes traveling up and down her ensemble. For a full minute, he said nothing, only stared. Feeling immensely flattered and a little amused, she spread her arms and shrugged. "Well?" she prodded, smiling, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Calvin seemed to shake himself out of his reverie. "Yeah," he said eloquently, "Would you… um… can I…?" Then, giving up on trying to speak, he offered her his arm, which she took. As they walked out into the foyer of the lodge, he finally managed to whisper, "You look absolutely beautiful, Liz."

"Thank you," she murmured, adding, "Cal." The use of his nickname forced them both to chuckle slightly, thus easing the tension they were feeling.

The first thing they saw when they entered the main room of the lodge was a large banner reading, "CONGRATULATIONS, CALVIN AND LIZ!" and they were almost instantly greeted by a roar of congratulations. Jimmy and Sarina stepped forward to hug and kiss the couple, followed by Tom and Kate, after which, they were congratulated by countless people, shaking hands and smiling until their cheeks hurt. Then came the part Liz had been secretly been dreading. Braddock and Rachel approached with their family to congratulate her and Calvin.

"Congratulations, Lizzie," Braddock said pompously, obviously putting on a show of politeness for the sake of his parents. "I'm happy for you." Then he turned to Calvin with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "You're a lucky guy, Calvin," he said loudly before leaning in and growling in a low voice, "Lucky that I didn't get to her first." With that, he winked slyly at Liz and walked away. As he left, Liz felt her stomach twist into a knot. Calvin, sensing her discomfort, slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

Next came Rachel. "Hello," she simpered as she took Liz's hand in a weak handshake. "You two just look so darling together. I hope you can get a honeymoon away from your big families." Liz blinked at her in shock, feeling as though she'd been slapped. Rachel ignored Liz's reaction, however, and turned to Calvin. To Liz's surprise and irritation, the younger girl reached up and touched Calvin's cheek. Then she went up on tiptoe and whispered, "If you ever change your mind, don't forget that I'm still available." She kissed his cheek and smirked slightly at Liz before strutting away.

Liz could feel her blood boiling and barely managed to remain civil to the rest of the Zimmerman family as they extended their congratulations. When they passed, Calvin leaned closer to her, his arm tightening around her waist. "Forget them, Lizzie," he murmured gently. "This night is for us and they'll only ruin it if we let them. Here," he said, turning her to face him, "Will this make you feel better?" Placing two fingers under her chin, he tilted her face toward his and placed a tender, lingering kiss on her lips. When he finished, he kept his head close to hers, his eyes closed. "I love you with all my heart, Elizabeth Baker."

The party continued and the band struck up a slow song. Liz and Calvin returned their attention to the party as couples began to fill the dance floor. Among them, they could see Jimmy and Sarina dancing to one side, while Tom was leading Kate to the center of the floor. Off to the side, Liz saw Daniel stop in front of Lorraine and bow slightly, extending his hand for her to take. Smiling shyly, she accepted his hand and allowed him to lead onto the floor. Feeling a movement beside her, Liz turned back to look at her fiancé. Calvin stepped back and bowed deeply, extending one hand to her. "I would be honored if you would dance with me," he murmured, his lips curving upward in a loving smile.

Smiling demurely, Liz placed her hand in his. In one smooth movement, he pulled her onto the floor and into his arms, spinning her expertly out and bringing her back in before settling into the flow of the music. As he guided her in and out of the other dancers, Liz found that she could not remember ever feeling lighter and happier. His ready smile greeted her every time he spun her back toward him and his eyes, so filled with love, stayed on her face as she twirled and spun in his arms. When the song ended, he spun her out one last time and pulled her in close enough to plant a light kiss on her mouth. Hearing applause, they broke apart and saw that all eyes were on them. Liz felt herself blush, and Calvin smiled affectionately down at her.

"Any requests from the couple?" the disc jockey asked over the microphone.

Calvin straightened in surprise, then laughed as he met Liz's eyes. "Any preference?"

In the end, they requested the song _This I Swear_. The DJ thought for a moment before saying, "Can do."

The floor cleared and Calvin and Liz were left in the center for their solo dance. At first, Liz felt so nervous that she almost couldn't think, but then Calvin whispered, "Forget about everybody else. Right now, for these next few minutes, you and I are the only people that exist." He pulled her close as the song started and as he led her around and around the floor, Liz began to forget that anyone else was watching. She had eyes only for Calvin.

How had she gotten so lucky? She wondered as she followed his lead. Here she was, dancing with the man who not only wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but had chased her down and risked her utter refusal to confess his love to her. He had rejected a far wealthier, more persuasive girl, gone against his father's initial wishes, and braved her own father's disdain to get to where they were now. And now, with the approval of both sets of parents and the pleasure of all their siblings, Liz could not imagine ever feeling happier. What had started out as youthful crush had grown into something far deeper and more wonderful right before her eyes and she still reeled from the suddenness of it all.

The music faded away, and Calvin slowly stopped rotating and they stared into each other's eyes until the next song – a lively swing dance – started. As bodies filled the floor again, he took Liz's hand and led her out onto the balcony. They both sighed as the cool breeze caressed their faces. "So," Calvin turned back to Liz. "Do you have preferences on where we go for our honeymoon?"

"Just somewhere where we can –" Liz was cut off by a shriek.

"Let me go!" cried a female voice around the corner.

A deeper voice joined the first. "Let her go, Zimmerman, before I bloody your nose."

Liz inhaled sharply. "That's Charlie!"

"And Anne," Calvin added. Without waiting for any further discussion, he grabbed Liz's hand and took off running down the balcony.

They came around the corner to find Anne struggling against Braddock's grip on her wrist. However, upon seeing Liz and Calvin, he let her go so suddenly that she lost balance and fell. Charlie managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Before they could so much as blink, Braddock caught Liz and pulled her against him, wrenching her arms behind her back. She cried out in sudden pain. "You'd better think very carefully about what you're going to do next, Murtaugh," Braddock growled as Calvin started forward. "You wouldn't want me to hurt her any more, would you?" To emphasize his point, he jerked up a little on Liz's arms, causing her to whimper involuntarily. Calvin stopped short, his eyes smoldering with fury. Braddock smiled grimly. "Good. Now, I think I have a few objections to this marriage."

Charlie, holding Anne against him, narrowed his eyes. "It's not your affair," he snapped.

Giving a tiny shake of Liz's arms, Braddock responded, "No, it's very much my affair. For one thing, pretty-boy here rejected my sister and broke her heart. For another, I was very interested in Lizzie baby here and he had the gall to court her right under my nose. Last, I think you all have quite enough members in your families alone without putting them together. I mean, seriously, how many family members can a person handle? We don't want the Murtaughs and the Bakers populating the world single-handedly."

"Excuse me?" Liz choked out incredulously. She felt her fury building up and suddenly, she lifted her feet off the ground and allowed all of her weight to rest on Braddock's hold on her arms. Surprised by the sudden addition of weight on his arms, Braddock dropped her to the ground and Calvin took one step forward, catching Braddock's collar and lifting him slightly off his feet.

"Touch my fiancée again, and I swear I'll kill you, City Boy," he growled dangerously. "I don't care _what_ objections you have to my marriage. If you come near her or anyone else of my family – that includes the Bakers, Zimmerman – I'll make sure you never see life the same way again."

Liz, who had rolled out of the way and was now sitting on the pavement at Charlie's feet, could visibly note Braddock's trembling and read the fear in his eyes. Calvin was far stronger than the New Yorker and his strength was added to by anger at this particular moment. Braddock raised his hands submissively and whimpered, "Please, put me down, Murtaugh."

Calvin's lip curled in disgust as he released his hold on the other boy. "Tell Rachel," he said, his voice silky smooth and dangerous, "that I have a message for her, on behalf of my fiancée." He deftly slapped Braddock across his left cheek. "Could you give that to her for me?"

Still reeling from being slapped, Braddock stumbled off out of sight. Calvin watched him go before bending down to lift Liz to her feet. "Thank you, Calvin," she murmured, tucking her head against his shoulder and feeling his arms wrap her up in a safe cocoon.

"You're welcome, my Lizzie," Calvin replied.

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_Yay! That was a long chapter! How'd you like it? I think that's the end of the Zimmermans for the rest of the story now. Anyway, probably just one or two chapters left! Just be patient. They're coming._


	21. TWENTY ONE: Presents

**Chapter Twenty-One: Presents**

Calvin held Liz in his arms for a minute before pushing back a little and letting his hands slide down her arms to take her hands. "Let's go back in there, before anybody misses us." He raised a quizzical eyebrow at Charlie and Anne. "Are you two coming with us?"

"Of course," Charlie said immediately, offering his arm for Anne to take. The foursome made their way back into the party. Amid the swirling bodies, Liz caught a glimpse of Lorraine, still dancing with Daniel. Before she could mention this to Calvin, however, both Sarina and Kate descended on them.

"There you both are," Kate said, looking slightly harassed. "We were wondering what had happened to you."

Sarina nodded and addressed her stepson. "I don't know how soon you and Liz want to call it quits, but personally, I'm ready when you are."

Calvin's eyebrows went up and he eyed his stepmother with concern. "Has it been that bad?"

Sarina snorted in a rather unladylike way. "The Zimmermans have been at our throats all night about allowing you to choose Liz over their daughter. William Zimmerman insists that we call off the wedding or he'll buy us out of our lake property and kick us off." She rolled her eyes as Jimmy and Tom broke away from the crowds and came to join them. "He's conveniently forgotten that he can't buy if we don't sell and that Jimmy's about four times as successful as he is."

"Talking about Bill Zimmerman, my dear?" Jimmy asked, kissing Sarina's cheek. "Did you tell our two lovebirds that he's planning to crash their wedding?"

"WHAT?" Charlie, Anne, Liz and Calvin said together.

Tom only laughed. "Mr. Zimmerman seems to be operating under the false idea that we're having the wedding here on Lake Winnetka before we all leave. What he doesn't know is that the Bakers are leaving in two days and that we'll be having the wedding wherever our children want it." He glanced around, as though checking for eavesdroppers and leaned in conspiratorially. "Just don't choose to have it here, okay?"

Liz laughed lightly. "Don't worry, Dad, we'll choose somewhere a little more convenient for all our friends and family."

"How about New York City?" Calvin asked with a wicked grin. "Then we _can_ make sure the Zimmermans are there."

That brought laughs all around. "Well," Tom said when the laughter died down a little, "As parents to you two, we have a couple of engagement gifts to give you before we leave the party. What do you say we gather both families and open them?"

Liz and Calvin glanced at each other, then at Charlie and Anne. "Sure," Calvin said with a shrug. Charlie and Anne broke apart to weave through the dancers and find wandering kids, while Tom, Kate, Jimmy and Sarina led the couple out onto the balcony where they'd sequestered the gifts. In ones, twos, and threes, the various members of the Murtaugh and Baker families collected around Liz and Calvin to witness the opening of the first two presents. Once everyone was there, Tom and Kate held out their present.

Calvin took the flat rectangle box and set it on his lap. Together, he and Liz pulled back the white wrapping paper to reveal a clothing box. Feeling slightly apprehensive, Liz and Calvin looked at each other, then lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of black dress pants, a crisp white tuxedo shirt, a cumberbund, a shimmery champagne-colored vest, and a black bow tie. A small jewelry box sat beside it, marked with Liz's name. She opened it to reveal two gorgeous diamond drop earrings and a diamond-studded necklace. Her mouth fell open in amazement as she looked up at her parents.

Kate placed her hand on her daughter's arm. "They're for you to wear for your wedding. We actually have the tailcoat to finish out your tuxedo, Calvin. It's at home, since we couldn't pack it all the way here. Come over tomorrow and we'll give it to you. And don't worry, we got your measurements from Sarina, so it should fit."

"But," Liz interjected, "But… how…? When?"

Kate gave her daughter a disbelieving look. "You really think we can't get away for a few hours and sneak something back into the house without you knowing? We're your parents."

"And now for our present," Jimmy said, pulling out a small box and an envelope. He passed the box to Calvin and gave the envelope to Liz.

Calvin opened his first to find a brand-new all-gold watch. Liz looked with slight disappointment at the slender envelope in her hands before breaking the seal and pulling out a blank signed check with the words "wedding dress" printed on the comments line. She looked up in astonishment at her soon-to-be father-in-law. "For…?"

"For your dress, honey," Sarina put in quickly. "Your parents bought the tux, so we figured we'd pay for your dress. Our only request is to keep the amount under a thousand dollars."

Liz's eyes widened. "Even if the dress I choose _is_ over a thousand dollars, this will put a healthy dent in the price. Don't worry though," she added hastily, "I was planning on keeping it simple. I don't want a hideously expensive dress."

"Well, if we're happy with the presents, I vote we head home," Tom Baker said. "The Bakers have a lot of packing to do tomorrow so we can leave the next afternoon."

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_Just kidding, I lied. Now there are two more chapters left. I think. Anyway, please review! _


	22. TWENTY TWO: Girl Talk

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Girl Talk**

"So, Lorraine," Liz drawled as she folded a pair of pants and tucked them into her large suitcase, "you never told me what you were going to say last night. Something in relation to wanting to try something different?"

Lorraine sighed a little as she folded a shirt and pants outfit and placed the two folded items together in her suitcase. "I wanted to try to be less… trendy. I guess I never really thought about how it makes others feel when I obsess so much over clothes and makeup. It's pretty selfish, actually. Anyway, I've decided to try to be more _real_. More like everybody else and not attempt to be some fashion goddess." She smiled as she walked to the closet and pulled out a few more items to fold. "You know what, Lizzie?" she asked with an open grin now.

"What?" Liz replied, her eyes on the skirt she was folding neatly.

"It worked. The first thing I noticed last night when I wore that outfit was how easy and natural it felt. It made me feel like… like I wasn't trying to be someone else. But that I was being myself." She shrugged. "I guess that was my problem. I was so obsessed with being a fashion guru that I ended coming out as carefully planned and composed as my outfits did. It wasn't the real me. I could tell because the real me actually fits in with this crazy family." She laughed as Liz rolled her eyes in amusement.

"So what did Daniel think?" Liz asked, eyeing her sister with open curiosity and a little teasing.

Lorraine blushed. "He said that he thought I looked beautiful." She fell silent, as though pondering over something confusing. "When I told him that I was going to work for _Allure_, he said something funny."

"What?" Liz asked.

"He said that I should be careful not to let them crush the real me. He said he thought it was cool that I'm going to work for a popular fashion magazine, but he said that they often mold their employees like they mold their models on the computer to perfect copies of what they want. He-he told me that he admired me for my smile and my attitude and to remember that I come from a crazy family and that I have to live up to that when I'm not with them. That way I remember who I really am." She stopped and looked up at Liz. "I-I think I'm going to follow his advice." Liz raised her eyebrows in surprise. Lorraine ignored it. "I used to be so excited to get to New York and get away from my insane family life and be like all the other models and popular people, but now… This vacation to Lake Winnetka has made me realize that I really _do_ love my family, even if they drive me nuts sometimes." She smiled as Liz grinned and nodded in agreement. She sobered and looked at Liz seriously. "Someday, I want to be like Mom and have a big family. I don't want to forget what this kind of life is like, because, even though dad can be majorly embarrassing and Sarah's a pain in the butt, and the boys all belong in the zoo sometimes, I know that we have it pretty nice, don't we?"

Liz looked up in surprise. She'd never really thought about it before, but their family _did_ have a lot of advantages because of its size. For one thing, it was impossible to feel totally forgotten – except for maybe that one instance with Mark, but that was because Mom was out of town – and for another, they all were more patient and laid back than your average person because they had so much chaos all the time. Come right down to it, and Liz realized that that was what she wanted for her own family, too. she pulled herself out of her thoughts, realizing that she still hadn't answered Lorraine's question. "Yeah, Lori, we have it pretty nice."

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**Author's Note: **_Sorry this is such a short chapter... I really did mean to make it longer, but there wasn't much else to cover that can go with this chapter. One more chapter left, guys! Please review!_


	23. TWENTY THREE: Goodbye For Now

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Goodbye For Now**

The day had finally come. For five glorious weeks, the Baker family had stayed in the big house on the shores of Lake Winnetka. Now, box by box, suitcase by suitcase, the thirteen children and one son-in-law loaded their belongings into the vehicles.

Liz could feel her eyes water a little as she stood in the front room of the house and looked around at the structure that housed so many wonderful memories. True, Bud and Nora owned it now and the family was free to visit whenever they chose, but it was highly unlikely that the whole family would ever be there together again. Liz and Calvin were going to live in New Haven, Connecticut until Calvin finished his schooling at Yale; Charlie was moving back up to the lake later in the year to open his own garage; Lorraine was going to New York; Bud and Nora were living in downtown Chicago; and Henry had one year left of high school before he was planning on going to school in California. One by one, the family would spread itself thinner and thinner, all over the country as the Baker children began to find their own ways in the world.

"Liz?" Charlie's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Her twin was standing in the doorway, an understanding smile on his face. "Time to go. The Murtaughs are here to say goodbye."

"I'll be a minute," she replied gently. "Tell them I'm coming."

Charlie nodded and left. Liz walked slowly back to her room, picked up her purse and her phone and turned off the light. Making a quick check through the house, she made sure all the lights were off before picking up the keys to the door and going outside, turning to lock the door behind her.

"Hey, honey," Tom greeted her at the bottom of the stairs, "did you get the place all locked down?"

"Yeah," she said, tossing him the keys. "It's all set for the next time we come through here." She saw the rest of the family standing with the Murtaugh's, saying goodbye, and she skipped down the steps, depositing her purse in the front seat of Charlie's car before joining them.

There were many tearful farewells. Eliot and Sarah were standing inches apart, talking earnestly, while off to one side, Charlie held Anne tightly in his arms and kissed the top of her head. Daniel and Lorraine were standing together, talking, and as she watched, he bent slightly and placed a kiss on her cheek. "All right, Bakers," Tom announced. "Finish your goodbyes and get in the car, we need to get going." Mark and Kenneth talked earnestly in low voices as they approached the Baker van and Mark climbed in. Liz smiled at that. They were probably planning how to get into mischief next time they were together. More hugs, and slowly the families separated and the Baker children piled into the van. Lorraine went up on tiptoe and kissed Daniel's mouth briefly before climbing into Charlie's car.

Now, Liz decided to say her goodbyes. She went first to Sarina and collected her hug. "We'll hear from you soon, okay?" the older woman whispered. Liz could only nod mutely.

Next came Jimmy, who pulled her into a firm hug and kissed her cheek. "I look forward to having you in the family, Lizzie."

"Thank you," Liz murmured into his shoulder. She broke away and collected a hug each from Lisa, Robin, Kenneth, Becky, and Eliot, then she turned to the oldest Murtaugh kids.

Daniel hugged her briefly and said, "It's been fun."

Anne stood waiting, Charlie standing behind her. When Liz broke away from Daniel, she opened her arms to her future sister-in-law. "Take care, okay? Will I see you at Harvard?"

"Maybe," Liz said, trying to keep her voice light. "I'll probably do a couple more semesters there and get my Bachelor's before the wedding. And I'll be doing classes online to get my Master's." She hugged Anne a little tighter. "Miss you already, Anne. You'll take care of Charlie when you get back out her for art school, won't you?"

Anne laughed shyly. "Of course." She kissed Liz's cheek and then turned her to face Calvin.

This was the goodbye that Liz was really dreading. As she walked up to him, she could already feel salty tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Calvin took her hands. "I'm going straight back to Yale tomorrow, but you can call me. Anytime, for any reason. Just call. I'll be there. I'm planning on stopping by your folks' house sometime around Christmas to say hi and help make some wedding plans. Will you be there?"

Feeling her tears start to flow, she immediately affirmed, "Of course I'll be there." Taking his face in her hands, she pulled him close and kissed him. His arms went around her waist and pressed her against him as he kissed her back, long and hard. For several breathless seconds, Liz was swept away, oblivious to her family or his as they clapped and cheered. She thought only of the man holding her. And she never wanted it to end.

At length, they finally broke apart and Calvin rested his forehead against hers. With his eyes still closed and their faces only centimeters apart, he whispered in a low, husky voice, "I love you, Liz."

"And I love you, Calvin," Liz whispered back, trying to fight back her tears. "I look forward to the day when I'll be your wife." She gently caressed the hair at the nape of his neck and reached up to kiss him again. He responded readily with a quick, firm kiss before placing his hands on her waist and pushing back slightly.

"It's time for you to go, now," he mumbled softly, a single tear betraying his feelings as it slipped down his cheek. Liz brushed it away affectionately. He smiled gratefully and kissed her hands. "Think of me," he implored gently, his hazel eyes searching hers.

She nodded. "Every day."

He pursed his lips, satisfied. "Until December, then." He was about to turn away, but thought better of it and pulled Liz back into his arms in a powerful embrace. Her arms went around his neck and he could feel the dampness of her tears through his shirt. She looked up into his eyes and kissed him hard, trying to convey to him what a million words could never say. Finally, she let him go and stepped back, leaving his lips tingling from the pressure of her kiss. As she got into the seat beside Charlie and her brother pulled away, Calvin involuntarily brought his fingers to his lips, touching the place where hers had been only seconds before. _Man,_ he thought, _I can't believe how much I love that girl._

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to find himself looking into Sarina's blue eyes. On impulse, he hugged her. "Thank you for helping bring us together," he told her. Then, pulling back, he looked into her eyes and added, "Mom." As his stepmother's eyes filled with tears at the word, he slipped an arm around her shoulder and they walked back to the dock, where the family boat was waiting to take them back to the Boulders. Calvin helped Sarina get in, then chanced one last glance back at the lake house where he'd first fallen in love with a remarkable girl from a remarkable family. Her name was Liz Baker...

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**Author's Note: **_Well, it's over now. I'll probably end up writing a one-shot of the wedding, but otherwise, this is it! So, be sure to tell me what you all thought of it! _

_Many thanks to Donny304 foryour faithful reviews every chapter. Also thanks to CheekyBabe101 for recommending me in her story. I recommend her story "Sarah Baker" as well. It's a good read. Thanks to lil cwick for the good comments and congratulations on winning my little challenge. You'll have a gift fic coming soon. PM me about your preference (events, chars, etc.) okay? Also thanks to madison blanche, clena, crystallized chaos, northern ranger, rising-phoenix07, summertime201, and donny for putting me on their favorites list.Thanks to everyone who had me on their alerts list, too. And to all my non-reviewing readers, thanks to you, too! Don't be afraid to drop a review anytime! _

_If anyone's interested in any of my other stories, just go to my profile page. I highly recommend my story Bush Pilot if anyone's seen and liked the movie Eight Below. I'm still working on that one, but it's pretty close to being done._

_THANK YOU ALL! _

_Elena_


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